


Angel in the Night

by sapphirerose1990



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Frisk, Alternate Universe - Monsters Weren't Sealed Underground, F/M, Female Frisk, Fluff and Smut, Interspecies Relationship(s), Morally Grey Characters, Slow Burn, Some characters are more evil than others, Sort of a Mix between Undertale and Underfell, Undertale Neutral Route, hot makeout sessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 23:34:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 38,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11519853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirerose1990/pseuds/sapphirerose1990
Summary: There’s an unspoken agreement within Ebott City, that in order to maintain the fragile peace between Monsters and Humans, a curfew is to be treated as law. Humans are only allowed the day and Monsters are restricted to the night. The punishment for breaking this rule is death. Now centuries later, Sans finds himself face to face with a mysterious pretty Human at the nightclub.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, here's my latest story. This one is a bit different then my previous three Undertale stories and is considered it's own AU, which I also call Nighttale.
> 
> Monster Age goes as follows:
> 
> o Ages 1-5 Baby  
> o Ages 5-10 Toddler/Little Kid  
> o Ages 11-18 Child/Big Kid  
> o Ages 19-25 Adolescent  
> o Ages 26-50 Young Adult  
> o Ages 51-100 Adult  
> o Ages 101-150 Middle Age  
> o Ages 151-300 Old/Ancient

A very long time ago, Ebott City was the envy of the land. It was called the jewel of the valley, the supreme utopia and many other pretty nicknames that would inspire travelers to the cross the treacherous mountains to find the fabled city. It was the precipice of civilization, not because of its technology but because it was the only place where Monsters and Humans lived in harmony. Monster refugees flocked to Ebott City hoping to find sanctuary. Whole communities were built and for the first time Monster kind thrived without fear of persecution. Humans had less reason to seek out Ebott City but they too enjoyed the freedom. The Mayor of Ebott City was praised for being open minded and both species respected him. For as long as neither blood nor dust was spilled, peace would remain regardless of the tensions outside the borders in neighboring towns.

The Mayor and his wife had a child, a little girl named Chara. When Chara was ten years old, she met the Monster Leader’s son named Asriel and the two became fast friends. They were closer than siblings and one was rarely seen without the other. Their friendship gave the community hope because it represented the best Ebott City had to offer. Then one day, Chara was found dead in the hands of Asriel. Being a Monster, Asriel did not understand the way Humans died.

Thinking that Chara was playing a game, Asriel shook Chara’s still body and laughed. He had no reason to believe that she was dead. There was not a speck of dust to be found. It was not until the Mayor and his wife ran over that Asriel realized something was wrong. Chara’s mother was crying and the Mayor, in his grief ordered his two guardsmen to kill Asriel. The men unsheathed their swords and within seconds, Asriel was dusted. Despite his young age, there was no mercy.

Upon hearing about their son’s death, Asgore and his wife Toriel were devastated. To add to their pain, the once benevolent Mayor issued a new rule for the city. In order to keep the fragile peace between the two species, a curfew law was put into place. Humans had the daytime and were entitled to the sun. Monsters were restricted only to the night and were entitled to the moon. The fragile friendship between Humans and Monsters was over but in order to keep Ebott City’s reputation as the jewel of the valley, this curfew was soon obeyed. In her sorrow, Toriel divorced her husband and went into hiding. The Monster Leader, Asgore was furious and wanted revenge.

Amending the curfew law, he stated that if any Human, regardless of age or intention, was to be caught outside in the night, that Human was to be killed with no hesitation or mercy. While this did not bring Asriel back, it gave Asgore a sense of peace. After all, if his son had been treated cruelly, why shouldn’t the Humans be treated the same way? Asriel had been a child; he was killed before he could even explain. Asgore was consumed in his hatred; it was all he had left.

Two centuries went by and soon life before the curfew law seemed only a dream. 

Ebott City was no longer as prestigious as it once was and there was a sense of grim resentment in the Monster community. To keep their spirits up, nightclubs and restaurants like Grillby’s exploded with popularity. Music could be heard all the way down the street and Sans, a talented young musician was often found lugging his trombone in the early hours before sunrise. “See ya tomorrow!” The skeleton said cheerfully, as the patrons started to leave. He was always the last one to go, followed by the owner. Even if it was 5:30 AM, he was still pushing the curfew limit.

“You are going to get caught.” Grillby warned, “Humans are not known for their benevolence.” The fire Monster watched the skeleton, spin and dance down the sidewalk. He seemed oblivious to his friend’s warning. “I mean it Sans.” Grillby tried again, his voice hissing and popping like an autumn campfire. “I only leave this late because I live close by. It’s not safe for Monsters.”

The skeleton stopped his dancing and sighed. “I know! I know! Papyrus gives me the same lecture but I can’t help it Grillbz. So throw me a bone here. I have only dreamed about what it must be like to sit in the daytime. I only get bits of the sunrise before I have to hibernate in a closed up house with only my brother for company.”

“I thought you and Papyrus were getting along better.” Grillby commented. “I’ve noticed that you don’t complain as much about him. Is he still insisting on the nightly patrols for Humans?”

“Boss and I get along fine.” Sans grumbled in annoyance, “It’s just that he has become a Human hunting fanatic! Papyrus is so determined to make his first kill that he patrols the streets every night in the hope that some Human would be stupid enough to leave his home and offer himself up as a sacrifice. Tibia honest, it would be a lot more likely for the Humans to lift this curfew then Boss killing someone.”

Grillby was silent, thinking about what Sans had said. As he walked, his body flickered in the wind and he only paused when he reached his home. “You and your brother are too young to remember life before the curfew.” The fire Monster mused, “Asriel died long before you were even born. The relationship between Humans and Monsters is complicated but I do believe that someday, the Humans will come to their senses and lift this restriction. We just have to be patient. It is my hope that Papyrus never catches a Human. Murder would corrupt his good soul.”

Sans couldn’t meet Grillby’s eyes. “I hope my brother never kills a Human either.” He whispered, “Boss would never be the same again. He acts all tough but underneath…”

Sighing, the skeleton waved goodbye and gave one last glance to the horizon. There was the faintest glow of sun stretching out over the mountain range that bordered the city. Stars were just starting to fade and while Humans didn’t really live in that part of town, Sans did not waste time before he walked to his home. The emptiness in his soul only worsened as faced the doorway. He was about to go inside when he heard something strange. It sounded like a trashcan being knocked over. Curious, Sans walked over and looked to see what caused the loud banging noise.

There was nothing. Not even a cat or a squirrel was in sight. Frowning, Sans scratched his skull and went inside. The skeleton home was decked out with all kinds of traps. Papyrus had been working on an especially deadly looking one. There were cannons, spikes and anvils designed to fall on top of some careless Human’s head. As he walked into the living room, Boss was lying on the ground drawing out the latest trap using paper and crayons. His orange tongue peaked out in concentration. It would be almost comical if his brother wasn’t building some death machine.

“SANS! YOU ARE FINALLY HOME!” Papyrus complained, not looking up from his drawing. “YOU WERE OUT LATE AGAIN. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO COME HOME AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE SUNRISE? UNDYNE DOESN’T LIKE IT WHEN MONSTERS TAKE RISKS! SHE’S BEEN KEPT BUSY AS IT IS WITH THE SHORT SUMMER NIGHTS. I WORRY THAT YOU‘LL BE CAUGHT AND KILLED, BROTHER!”

“Heh…don’t worry Boss, it might have been a marrow escape but I made it before the sun rose.” Sans, grinned mischievously. “I’m not afraid of Humans. I’m a bonefied expert at teleporting. One snap of my phalanges and then I am here in a second!”

“WERE THE PUNS REALLY NECESSARY?” Papyrus complained, “HONESTLY SANS, IT’S LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE MY LIFE HARDER. IF YOU WOULD QUIT THAT MUSIC JOB, WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE TERRIBLE HOURS. I WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOU EVERY NIGHT AND IF YOU BECOME A GUARDSMAN, YOU COULD DO SOME ACTUAL GOOD FOR MONSTER KIND INSTEAD OF PLAYING THAT AWFUL HORN AT GRILLBY’S. MUSIC IS POINTLESS.”

Sans looked down at the trombone, it was still packed securely in its case. “I thought ya liked my music? When we were younger Monsters, ya couldn’t get enough of my playin’.”

Papyrus looked at Sans for a long moment, “IT’S JUST NOT PRACTICAL. WE LIVE IN A TOUGH WORLD AND IT’S TIME THAT YOU TOOK SOME RESPONSIBILITY. YOU’RE MY OLDER BROTHER SANS BUT YOU ACT LIKE YOU’RE STILL A CHILD. YOU KNOW BETTER THEN TO BE OUT SO LATE. YOU KNOW HOW TENSE THINGS ARE LATELY. THERE HAVE BEEN MONSTERS DISAPPEARING AND PANIC IS RISING OVER FEARS THAT THEY ARE BEING DUSTED BY THE HUMANS. IT IS MADNESS!”

“I never realized it was that bad.” Sans muttered. “But I will keep that in mind, Boss.”

Nodding his head, Papyrus went back to his drawing. Sans slowly made his way up the stairs but on the way up, he glanced out the window. The sun had risen and he was completely exhausted. He looked forward to sinking into his mattress and putting all this drama behind him. How could he give up his music? Playing his trombone to a crowd of adoring Monsters was what he lived for. Plus he could have all the condiments he could drink, courtesy of his friend Grillby. It was a good life and being at Grillby’s allowed him to forget about his silly dreams of seeing sunlight.

When he was home, all he had were pictures. Postcards of far off places were taped to his wall. Sans dreamed of seeing such places but pictures could only bolster his mood so much. Not even Papyrus was aware of his collection. Sans felt restless. There was so much out there; sunlit beaches, countryside that went as far as the eye socket could see and towns that he had only heard about through rumors. The world was so much bigger then Ebott City but the Monsters treated their home as if it were the only thing that mattered. After all, it was very hard to go and explore these places if you could only leave your home for the brief amount of hours allowed.

Was ignorance truly bliss in this situation? Was it better not to dream of sunlight and freedom?

Sans didn’t know. Finding an old blanket, Sans settled down into his bed and made himself comfortable. He curled up with the blanket wrapped snugly around him, closed his eyes sockets and fell into a deep sleep. As the hours passed by, the two Monster occupants were unaware that somebody had been watching them. Sneaking around the house, the figure looked into windows. Their favorite window belonged to the older skeleton. The figure watched Sans with interest, studying his sleeping form and giving a pleased smile. After following this Monster all across Ebott City, the skeleton that had played the trombone so beautifully was found at last. 

Now was the perfect time to enact their plan. Change was to be coming for the Monsters of Ebott City.


	2. Chapter 2

At the stroke of 7 PM, Sans heard his alarm clock go off. The beeping noise woke him out of a sound sleep and the skeleton rolled over, his hand trying to find the snooze button. Upon realizing that the clock had already fallen out of his reach, Sans groaned and forced himself awake. The summer sun had not set but Papyrus insisted on starting their evening with a routine that included breakfast and magic training. Magical strength was important in Human hunting.

Changing into a fresh set of clothes, the skeleton yawned as he went down the stairs. Papyrus was already in the kitchen. The fire on the stove was going full blast as the pot of water bubbled furiously. With a quick flick of his wrists, Papyrus used his knife wielding skills and diced the tomatoes and green peppers effortlessly. His battle ready outfit was on and despite the fearsome look; it was softened by the pink kiss the cook apron that Boss had tied neatly around his middle.

“That smells pretty good!” Sans commented, “Is it a new recipe? I don’t remember seeing ya use peppers in the sauce last time. I only remember burned little lumps.”

Ignoring the teasing, Papyrus grinned proudly. “UNDYNE HAS FINALLY SHOWED ME HER TOP SECRET RECIPE FOR SPAGHETTI! WITH THIS MEAL, I SHALL DEMONSTRATE MY CULINARY GENIUS AND I PLAN ON BRINGING HER SOME FOOD TONIGHT WHEN WE GO ON PATROL. IF UNDYNE IS IMPRESSED, SHE MIGHT RECOMMEND MY SKILLS TO ASGORE AND PERHAPS I’LL BE ABLE TO COOK FOR OUR LEADER.”

“I thought ya wanted to be a renowned Human hunter?” Sans asked, smiling cheekily.

“I DON’T SEE WHY I CAN’T BE BOTH!” Papyrus defended, “COOKING IS MY HOBBY.”

Shaking his head in amusement, Sans started digging through the fridge trying to find his favorite drink of mustard. The yellow liquid was running low and the skeleton frowned as it stuck to the edge of the bottle. “Hey Boss, remind me to pick up some groceries tonight.” Papyrus wasn’t listening. Humming to himself, the tall Monster drained the noodles and started serving up two plates of spaghetti and arranging them neatly on the table. He found some napkins and for good measure, placed in the center of the table, a bright blue flower inside a tiny vase. Echo flowers were common in Ebott City but they only bloomed at night. Legend has it, that if you whisper a secret into the petals, the words would whisper back. It was a pretty tale. A flower that bloomed in the darkness…it was as if it were some consolation prize. 

Sans smiled sardonically as he sipped what was left of the mustard and joined Papyrus at the table. The spaghetti had vastly improved over the months but the noodles were still a bit too crunchy. The skeletons didn’t comment on it, each lost in their own thoughts. Papyrus had a copy of the Monster Times open as he read the headlines out loud. Sans didn’t pay much attention but his brother liked keeping up with the news, even if nothing happened or changed in their way of life.

“METTATON IS COMING TO PREFORM AT CLUB MOONLIGHT.” Papyrus mused, glancing up at his brother. “SANS? HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS NEW SINGING ROBOT? I RECALL HEARING THAT DOCTOR ALPHYS HAD CREATED A ROBOT, I WONDER IF THIS IS HIM? HMM...APPARENTLY HE IS A BRILLIANT SINGER AND PERFORMER.”

“I thought you didn’t like music anymore.” Sans said, chuckling between bites of spaghetti.

“THIS IS MORE THEN MUSIC!” Papyrus argued stubbornly, “THIS IS METTATON! LOOK AT HIM! LOOK HOW POISED HE IS! HOW ARTICULATE HE IS IN THE INTERVIEW! I BET HE SOUNDS AMAZING. MAYBE SOMEDAY I WILL GO SEE HIM IN CONCERT!”

As Papyrus gushed about his latest obsession, Sans got up and went to retrieve his trombone case. He got out the instrument and started polishing and cleaning it to make sure the music was going to sound right. Sans hummed, thinking about the next couple of hours. He had an odd job to do and then he would be playing at Grillby’s for the rest of the evening. If Mettaton really was coming to Club Moonlight, then there was going to be some serious competition soon. Monsters only paid their gold to see people they liked and with somebody famous like Mettaton, Grillby’s might become a lot emptier than normal. An emptier room meant less income for their family.

His grip on the trombone tightened. Papyrus had no idea how hard it was to keep up the façade. His brother assumed that gold just magically fell into their pockets but Sans had to balance keeping his music gig at Grillby’s with the jobs that were assigned to him by Asgore. Only Undyne knew the truth and that was why she kept Papyrus busy by going on patrols. It gave the illusion that they were protecting Monster kind but in reality things were a lot more complicated.

“SANS! YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME!” Papyrus complained, bringing San out of his thoughts. “I WAS SAYING THAT WE SHOULD SPAR WITH EACH OTHER TONIGHT, BEFORE I GO ON PATROL. IT WILL BE GOOD PRACTICE AND YOU MUST BE RUSTY. I CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU USED YOUR MAGIC OTHER THEN IN TELEPORTATION. WHAT IF YOU SEE A LOST HUMAN TONIGHT?”

“Eh…I’m not really feelin’ up to it.” Sans said, looking away. “Besides…I got an errand to run before Grillby’s opens at midnight. It’s kind of important and I want to get it over with. Maybe we could spar together tomorrow night? That would be easier.”

Papyrus huffed in frustration. “EXCUSES! EXCUSES! HONESTLY SANS, IT’S KILL OR BE KILLED IN THIS WORLD. HOW CAN I EXPECT YOU TO SURVIVE WHEN YOU LIVE SO RECKLESSLY? YOU NEVER PRACTICE YOUR BATTLE MAGIC AND YOU STAY OUT AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT! IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU WANT TO BE DUSTED BY SOME RANDOM HUMAN. I HOPE YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED YOU MAKE ME FEEL. WHY, JUST THE OTHER DAY I WAS TELLING UNDYNE…”

Sans got up from the kitchen table and placed the trombone back in its case. “Hey bro…I would love to stay and chat but the just sun went down and I am needed elsewhere. We can continue this conversation later…okay? Don’t worry; I can take care of myself.”

Papyrus stopped in mid rant and looked sternly at his brother. The smaller skeleton appeared to be more tired than normal and he had just woken up from a long sleep. Deciding that it was better to let Sans be, Papyrus got up and put his plate in the sink. “BE CAREFUL TONIGHT.” He said, giving a long sigh. “I’LL BE BACK HOME AROUND 5 AM, SO SEE YOU THEN?” Giving a nod, Sans walked out into the streets of Ebott City with his trombone case strung on his back. 

The stars had just come out and the full moon was glowing brightly in the distance. All around him, Monsters were starting to come out of their homes and greeting each other. The cheerful chatter was starting to grow as Monster stores and clubs opened up for the evening rush. “Hi Sans!” a rabbit Monster greeted, “How’s it shakin’? You look like you’re ready to perform.” The little Monster was so desperate for his attention, she was hoping alongside his already brisk pace. 

Sans glanced at her and smiled, “Hey Dizzy. I’ll be playin’ tonight, don’t you worry. I just have to deal with a few things first. By the way, have you see Jerry around?”

Dizzy frowned in confusion, “Um…yeah? I saw Jerry with Aaron and Woshua. They were talking by the river about something but they didn’t want anybody to know what was being discussed. It was actually really weird but I didn’t think much of it. Jerry is not one of my friends and he is unpleasant to be around. He and Aaron keep on making rude gestures to poor Shyren.”

Sans frowned, “Then I think it’s time I go talk to them. Word on the street is that they have been getting into trouble and if they are harassing the local females, then that just gives me all the more reason to get this settled now. Thanks Dizzy.” Teleporting away almost instantly, Dizzy could only give a sad little sigh as she continued on her way. Sans was the most confusing Monster she had ever met. He was also the most mysterious and good looking Monster but it did not matter. Sans never looked at her twice. Feeling dejected, Dizzy headed towards the downtown and wondered what it was about Jerry’s secret meeting that attracted so much attention. Sans wasn’t the only one interested, Doggo had been curious too.

At the river, Sans watched the conversation between the group of Monsters very carefully. Doggo had arrived too and he held his knife in his paws. “I don’t see them moving.” The canine Monster growled, “Are you sure they are there? This is a weird place for a top secret meeting.”

Sans’ eye started to glow bright with anticipation. “I can see them right now. It looks like Asgore was right. You go around the back and I will come at them. We don’t want any witnesses to this dusting. If Monsters start talking, Asgore could have a bigger rebellion then what was expected. There could be a few misunderstandings.”

With the moonlight on the river, Jerry and his friends were whispering frantically with one another. Aaron laughed and Woshua giggled from what Jerry said. Meeting by the river was the best idea because nobody ever came and this allowed them to exchange local gossip amongst themselves with no onlookers judging. Aaron flexed his muscles in the reflection the water, oblivious that they were being watched. “Do you think Shyren likes me? I want to ask her out.”

Jerry rolled his eyes. “I keep telling you to talk to her but you do nothing but wink seductively.”

“But it’s my signature move!” Aaron protested. “Between winking and flexing my muscles, I would probably make a fool of myself. How could she respect a Monster who acts like a fool?”

“I think you’re both fools for pursuing her.” Woshua chortled, “Moldsmal is prettier anyway.”

Jerry was just about to comment when he noticed something rustling in the bushes. Without being able to react, Sans sprang out of the plants with his left eye blazing. He used the gaster blaster and within seconds, the three Monsters were turned into three dust piles on the riverbank. Sans panted from the effort and Doggo, who had been holding a knife, looked disappointed that it was already over. “You were so fast.” Doggo commented, impressed, “It’s no wonder that Asgore put you in charge of the missions. You are the most lethal Monster in all of Ebott City!”

The skeleton huffed, looking disgusted with himself and with the piles of dust on the ground. “I only do this because I have no choice. I don’t particularly like killing but if it keeps my brother from increasing his level of violence, then it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Now come on, we have to clean this up and I need to head on to Grillby’s.”

Doggo sighed, “Your brother still doesn’t know that Asgore hired you to be an assassin? That’s going to be an awkward conversation if Papyrus ever finds out. I’d hate to be in your shoes.”

Sans glared at the canine Monster. “Papyrus will never find out.” He said adamantly. “I might call him boss to his face but if he knew how many lives I have taken because Asgore willed it, my brother would not see me the same way again. I prefer being seen as the lazy skeleton that makes puns and only uses magic for teleportation.”

“Okay! Okay! I get it!” Doggo said, putting his paws up in defense. “Papyrus will never know. Anyway, I’m curious. What did these three Monsters do that put them on Asgore’s hit list? Obviously it must have been pretty bad if they warranted such a death. Were they convicted felons? Did they steal from the royal treasury? They didn’t look like evil masterminds to me.”

Sans sighed, “All I know is that Asgore believed they were traitors to Monster kind.”


	3. Chapter 3

Washing his hands for the third time that night, Sans tried not to think about what had happened in the previous hour. He could still feel the dust between his phalanges, the filth that stubbornly clung to the bone as if to remind him of his guilt. It did not even matter if those three Monsters were criminals or not, what Asgore wanted, Asgore got. Sans was paid to kill and not ask questions. He was an assassin and already, the skeleton Monster could feel his LV increasing. He was paid good money; a hundred gold pieces for every Monster dusted. Twice that amount if the hit was a Boss Monster. Asgore must have believed that Jerry, Woshua and Aaron were criminals but deep in his soul, Sans knew that something was wrong. He just couldn’t afford to quit.

“Sans? Are you alright in there?” Grillby called, knocking on the bathroom door. “Your fans really want an encore performance! They keep chanting your name and everybody is restless.”

The skeleton sighed but smiled at his reflection in the mirror. “Heh…I guess I better give the people want they want. I’ll be out in a second Grilbz, please try and keep them from killing each other in a frenzy. I need to bone up on the next song real quick.”

“Alright but please… hurry.” Grillby said anxiously, “I will be at the bar if you need anything.”

Splashing some cold water on his face, Sans shook the thoughts from his head and grabbed his trombone. He was ready. The accompanying music was already going full throttle and within moments, Sans put the instrument to his mouth and began playing a jazzy tune. The Monsters cheered as he walked onto the stage and he gave a little dance. Winking to the crowd, a few of his fans started screaming even louder. Drinks of all kinds were being passed around. Despite the looming threat of competition from Mettaton, Grillby’s was crowded just like it was every night. Lost in the music, Sans didn’t really notice the individual faces. 

Everybody became a big blur as he danced around and the noise only got louder and more rambunctious as time went by. Suddenly his eyes landed on one person who stole his attention. The figure was a woman wearing a long black robe that hid a majority of her body. Unable to see much of her face, what stood out the most to Sans were her eyes. This woman had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Monsters rarely had eyes in that color but nobody seemed to notice this strange beautiful lady.

The woman seemed invisible as the crowd jostled around her. Nobody seemed to notice that she was wearing a heavy winter cloak in the middle of summer. Nobody seemed to notice that she was quiet when everyone else was loud. Who was this Monster? There was something about this woman that intrigued him. 

Being so lost in his observations, Sans played his trombone out of habit and it wasn’t until a few minutes after the song stopped that he realized what happened. People were staring at him and even Grillby raised an eyebrow at this unprecedented behavior. Sans blushed in embarrassment. “Heh…sorry about that folks, I guess I just tuned out there for a moment. Still, thanks for coming and I really hope to see ya tomorrow because I have a skele-ton of new songs to try out! So until next time…”

Sans bowed and the crowd of Monsters broke into a roar of applause. Giving a sigh of relief, the skeleton went to the bar and ordered and few rounds of mustard. It was still early in the evening and it wouldn’t hurt if he got a little drunk, if only to wash away the feelings he had been experiencing. Perhaps this was just the stress and guilt getting to him, it could happen…right?

“You are a really good musician.” A voice said from behind him. “One of the best I ever heard.”

Sans took a sip of mustard and turned around to face the speaker. It was the woman in the cloak. Her eyes were more stunning up close and for a moment, he was speechless. She really wasn’t a Monster; at least…she didn’t have a monstrous appearance. There were no horns or animalistic traits like scales or fur. She had two eyes, one nose and her teeth were dull, not pointed like his. “Thanks.” Sans said bashfully, trying to relax. “But I am nothin’ special. I just practice a lot because sometimes, it’s the best way to clear my head. Usually I am even better but tonight I had something on my mind. What is your name? I haven’t seen ya around. A lady of your status seems worthy of a better restaurant then Grillby’s.”

The woman laughed, brown curls spilling out from cloak’s hood. “My name is Frisk. I can tell how much effort you put into your music. Your practice has been paying off. I’ve been to Grillby’s before but usually I sit in the back. I kind of…stand out around here. Anyway, you play such beautiful happy music. Where I’m from…things like that are not allowed. Music is frowned upon because it is not very practical and I have been told repeatedly to keep my feet grounded.”

“I know the feelin’.” Sans agreed, “My brother thinks that I should focus on Human hunting instead of playin’ the trombone. He doesn’t realize that this is one of the few things that make me forget about the curfew. Music makes me think of sunlight and happier times. Just because I haven’t been outside in the daytime doesn’t mean I don’t dream about what it could be like to have that little luxury.”

Frisk nodded, her eyes were full of enthusiasm. “I know what you mean. It’s been two centuries! After all that time, you would think that by now the Monsters and Humans could find a way to get along together. I hate that Monsters only have the night and that Humans only have the day. What’s the point of it all? The separation just adds unnecessary fear. Just because the two species are different looking, that doesn’t mean that she should be forced apart. Imagine what we could learn together if we practiced mercy instead of murder. Doesn’t Asgore get tired of the killing?”

“Heh…don’t let Asgore overhear that statement.” Sans said, anxiously looking around. Luckily no one was paying them attention but he sweated nervously. “I would like the curfew to end too but things are going to get worse before they get better. Monsters aren’t exactly fond of Humans because of Asriel’s death. People want justice too.”

“But that was just four Humans.” Frisk argued; scowling with frustration. “Not all Humans are bad. If we could just talk rationally and get past prejudices, I think we have a lot in common.” In her emotive state, Sans noticed that this Monster woman looked unlike any Monster he had ever seen. In fact, she looked awfully like the pictures of Humans that Papyrus had in his history books. Granted the curfew had been acted long before he had been born but if this woman was a Human, she was in dangerous territory. Asgore’s law still held and by law he would have to kill her but…her friendliness made him hesitate. Frisk wasn’t like any of the Humans he expected.

“Look…I get what you are sayin’ but this is not the time or place.” Sans said, patiently herding the woman to the door. “Asgore wants all Humans to be killed the moment they step out into the night. Now ya seem like a nice lady…I really don’t want to hurt ya but the other Monsters might not be so merciful. Fix that cloak of yours and go home before someone sees ya. I can’t save ya from Asgore if he learns of your identity. He is still lost in hatred. There’s no reasonin’ with him, trust me on this.”

Frisk adjusted her hood, pulling her brown curls back and repositioning it so only her face showed in the dim lights of the bar. “I guess you found me out.” She sighed, “But you chose not to kill me and for that I am very grateful. I know that Humans are not allowed here, especially past the twilight hours but ever since I heard you play here at Grillby’s a few days ago, well…I just can’t stop thinking of you. You looked so sad and so peaceful at the same time. Sans, your music is so amazing and I really want to get to know you. You seem like a good Monster.”

Sans studied her and smirked, “But ya don’t know me. Not really. I’m not a good Monster. I’ve done so many terrible things; things that would make ya hate me. This world is cruel sweetheart and life is unfair. So don’t mistake my mercy for benevolence; ya just caught me in a generous mood. Next time I might not be nice!”

Flashing his sharp teeth, Sans hoped to scare her off. Frisk was wandering around in Monster territory in the middle of an ancient truce that could be broken the moment somebody found out her true identity. Monsters hated Humans. That was how things were. Humans killed Asriel and they were the ones that started the curfew in the first place. The skeleton expected to see Frisk running but she did not, instead she looked at him for a long time and gave the saddest smile.

“I’m sorry this world has been cruel to you.” Frisk said quietly, turning to walk down the main road. “I hope that we can see each other again, sometime. Sans, you can tell me that you are not a good Monster but I can sense that there is goodness in your soul. I think you sometimes forget that it is still there. I can help you remember…if you let me. I think we could even be friends.”

Sans watched her leave and scratched his head in confusion. A Human at Grillby’s! This really was turning out to be a strange night. On the other hand, he had temporary forgotten the mission that he had went on earlier. Now all his thoughts were on this mysterious Human named Frisk. Who was she? Where did she come from? Why did she show such an interest in him? He was a grumpy bag of bones and Humans, from what he had read, were soft skinned and very delicate. It just didn’t make sense.

Nothing seemed to add up and his skull ached from overthinking. Sans looked to the sky and noticed that it had gotten brighter. Sunrise was approaching and Grillby’s would be closing soon. It was time to go home. With any luck, Papyrus would be already home and he would be oblivious to the events that had happened. Sans retrieved his trombone case, said goodbye to Grillby and headed for home. Tonight he would not risk a sunrise; he had too much to think about. Plus, Frisk’s sad expression haunted his thoughts. She had bewitched him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely kudos, comments and bookmarks! This chapter is a bit of a filler but don't worry, there will be plenty of Frisk/Sans in the coming chapters!

The sun was barely a speck of light in the distance when Sans arrived home. The skeleton did not even notice the beauty of the sky before he closed the door. Sunrises meant nothing to him when all he wanted to do was sleep and not think about what had happened. There were too many thoughts crowding his skull, he just wanted to bury his head in his pillow and just forget everything. He didn’t want to think about dusting Monsters. He didn’t even want to think about Frisk. 

That Human woman was obviously bad news. He was better off not thinking about her.

“BROTHER, WELCOME HOME!” Papyrus said cheerfully. “HOW WAS YOUR NIGHT? I HOPE IT WAS AS PRODUCTIVE AS MINE. UNDYNE PUT ME THROUGH SOME ENDURANCE TRAINING AND I THINK MY MAGICAL STRENGTH HAS IMPROVED. I HAD MANAGED TO DODGE NEARLY ALL HER SPEARS WITHOUT LOSING MY HP!”

“Wow, that’s great Boss.” Sans muttered, not really paying attention.

Papyrus frowned, finally noticing his brother’s sour mood. Sans was not making puns, he wasn’t even looking him in the eye socket. “BROTHER? ARE YOU OKAY? DID SOMETHING BAD HAPPEN TONIGHT? YOU’RE NOT ACTING…WELL…LIKE YOUR USUAL SELF.” He said carefully. “IF SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU, I HOPE YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO TALK TO ME. WHAT HAPPENED? WAS SOMEBODY RUDE TO YOU AT GRILLBY’S? DID YOU SEE A HUMAN ON YOUR WAY HOME? WHAT COULD IT BE?”

Sans didn’t comment, he just looked away and shuffled upstairs to his room. Papyrus ground his teeth in frustration, finally racing up the stairs after his brother. He pulled on his brother’s sleeve right before he was about to go inside his bedroom. Sans managed to free himself and scowled at the taller skeleton. “Leave me alone Boss, I’m tired. Go find someone else to annoy!”

“FINE, IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE LIKE THAT!” Papyrus scowled, offended at being rebuffed. “I ALSO WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT A LETTER ARRIVED FOR YOU IN THE MAIL. IT LOOKS REALLY IMPORTANT BUT THERE WAS NO RETURN ADDRESS ON IT, JUST YOUR NAME ON THE FRONT. HMM…I WONDER IF ASGORE CHOSE YOU TO GO ON A SECRET MISSION. I HAVE HEARD THE RUMORS ABOUT THOSE.”

Startled, Sans paused and looked nervously at his brother. Sweat started dripping down his skull and he fidgeted anxiously. “Um…a secret...mission? What are ya goin’ on about, Boss?”

“WHEN I WAS PATROLLING WITH UNDYNE, I HEARD SOME OF THE CANINE GUARDSMEN TALK ABOUT SECRET MISSIONS." Papyrus explained proudly. "I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE BUT THEY SOUND LIKE FUN. THINK OF ALL THE DANGER, THE ESPIONAGE, THE ADVENTURE…I WISH I WAS CHOSEN FOR A SECRET MISSION BUT ONLY THE STRONGEST MONSTERS ARE CHOSEN. ASGORE HANDPICKS THE CANDIDATES HIMSELF BUT…I DOUBT THAT LETTER IS AN INVITATION. NO OFFENSE, BUT YOU’RE NOT AN INTIMIDATING MONSTER SANS.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Sans took the letter and forced a smile. “Well…whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal.” He said as calmly as he could. “Normally if somebody wants to talk to me, they tell me in person. Maybe Asgore is handing out awards for the puniest Monster in Ebott City or perhaps the greatest musician?”

Papyrus shook his head, “I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT! ASGORE WOULD NOT WASTE HIS TIME HANDING OUT AWARDS. THAT’S PREPOSTEROUS! NOW I’M OFF TO SLEEP. DON’T STAY UP TOO LONG OR YOU’LL WAKE UP TIRED AND CRANKY TONIGHT!”

Letting Sans go into his room, Papyrus headed towards his own bedroom. Sans stood in the hallway, studying the letter and wondering what it could be. Asgore never gave letters this indirect. As per their agreement, Papyrus would not have any notice of Sans’ duties and as such, no method of communication would ever be sent to their shared household. It had to be Asgore but what did he want? No Monster less than a hundred years old sent letters anymore. Young Monsters used cellphones, so if it was Asgore, what was so important that a letter was to be delivered to him right before sunrise? Did something happen? Shaking his head, Sans wasted no time going into his room. 

He opened the envelope, tore off the seal and found that it looked rather informal for Asgore. The letter was written in a purple loopy handwriting, being far different then Asgore’s usually bold straightforward penmanship. Sans studied the letter with a puzzled expression. It was not from Asgore…the letter was from Toriel.

_Dear Sans,_  
 _You have earned quite the reputation in Ebott City. You are a proficient trombone player at Grillby’s Bar and Grill, a loyal assassin for Asgore and a caring brother who is determined to keep his sibling innocent and safe despite the violence of this world. According to my daughter, you have had a difficult life and because of poverty, you have resorted to gaining a ghastly high level of violence. While I disagree with your methods of earning gold, I understand and sympathize with your plight and have come to offer you a deal. Being that tonight you are not working at Grillby’s, come by my home instead. I have a proposition for you and if you offer your assistance, I believe that we can end this segregation of the species once and for all. The address is located on the other side of this letter. Come alone and don’t tell anyone about this._  
Sincerely, Lady Toriel

Sans looked over the letter again, trying to make sense of what he just read. Toriel, a Monster who had not been seen in two hundred years, had known about him and wanted his help for ending the curfew law. It was so crazy; the skeleton almost did not believe it. Maybe this was somebody’s idea of a trick? Asgore was paranoid about Monsters betraying him, it would be the perfect test to confirm loyalty but this wasn’t some rebellious traitor…this was his own ex-wife!

“I think one of the canine Monsters have been barking to the wrong person.” Sans mused to himself, “How else are people finding out about the secret missions? It was probably Lesser Dog; he’s not exactly the smartest in the pack. Ugh! This is not good. This is really not good! If Monsters learn there are assassins out there waiting to dust them, we could have a riot. Asgore could dust me because I am the leader!" Pacing back and forth in his bedroom, the skeleton debated what to do. "Why would Lady Toriel even want to talk to me? She's a pacifist, she and Asgore split up because he wanted revenge. Plus, since when did she have a daughter? I know her son died...maybe she had another kid in secret?"

Frowning, Sans put the letter on his dresser. He was confused but he was also really tired. The sun was already high in the sky and he needed his sleep. Groaning, he rubbed his face and gave a big yawn. This situation could wait until tonight. The skeleton changed into some comfortable bed clothes and snuggled into his bed. He tried to clear his mind but he kept on thinking about the letter. Why now? Why did Toriel want to contact him? What had suddenly brought this up? For some reason, she even knew about his high level of violence too. He flipped around in his bed, one side to the next. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

Why couldn’t he just forget and let his mind have peace? It took ages until he was calm and even longer until he finally fell asleep. Bad dreams plagued him throughout as the hours passed on by and despite how hard he tried, Toriel’s words echoed in his head. He hadn’t actually met the woman but in his dreams, he imagined Toriel to look like some crazy grizzled old goat Monster. The bad dream involved a lot of running. Toriel chased him about with a wooden rolling pin, before soon having the baking utensil turning into a very sharp butcher’s knife. Human blood dripped down the side and Sans could feel her presence always one step behind him. She was waving the blade and shrieking the words "Murderer! Monster Betrayer!" Needless to say, Sans did not sleep well. 

By the time 8 PM arrived, the skeleton was already up and showered. His alarm did not even go off before he was dressed.

With dark circles under his eye sockets, Sans did not talk as he went downstairs. Papyrus was eating his breakfast and Sans poured himself a cup of strong coffee. He sipped it slowly and stared off into space. He had to meet this Lady Toriel. The worry was driving him nuts and until he figured out what she wanted, Sans knew he would not get another good day’s sleep again. At least when he met her…he would know if she really did look like the Monster from his bad dream. Shuddering at the memory, Sans retrieved the address from the letter. It was far away.

“I HOPE YOU’RE FEELING BETTER SANS.” Papyrus commented, studying his brother with concern. “WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO IN SUCH A HURRY? IS IT ABOUT THE LETTER?”

“It’s nothin’ important” Sans said evasively, trying to give a cheerful smile. “I have a few errands to run. It shouldn’t take too long and I’ll be back long before the sun rises. If ya want, we can practice sparing together when ya get back. I know being on patrol with Undyne tires ya out but if you’re up to it, it could be fun. Is that okay?”

His brother grinned back, his eye sockets shining in excitement. “THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN! I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS SHALL TAKE YOU UP ON YOUR CHALLENGE AND WE SHALL SPAR UNTIL ONE OF US CONCEDES IN DEFEAT. PREPARE YOURSELF BROTHER FOR I SHALL HAVE A FEW NEW MOVES THAT WILL IMPRESS YOU. HUMANS EVERYWHERE SHALL FEAR ME AND I WILL BE THE MOST INTIMIDATING MONSTER…ONCE MY TRAINING IS COMPLETE OF COURSE.”

“Eh…But I already know how great ya are.” Sans praised, “But even so, I look forward to seeing your battle magic. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen ya practice…at least…not since we were baby bones. Have ya learned to use gaster blasters yet?”

Papyrus looked puzzled, “GASTER BLASTERS? WHAT ARE THOSE? I HAVE NOT HEARD OF BATTLE MAGIC LIKE THAT. I JUST USE BLUE MAGIC, NOT BLASTERS.”

Sans smiled sheepishly, mentally beating himself up over such a careless slip. “Um…never mind, forget I said anything. I didn’t sleep well and I guess I’m a bit distracted today. I suppose that letter rattled my bones more than I expected. As for gaster blasters, I think I remember reading in a book that they are an advanced move for skeleton Monsters. I know how strong ya are, so I’d assumed that ya knew them.”

Papyrus preened at the compliment. “WELL, IF GASTER BLASTERS ARE AN ADVANCED BATTLE MOVE THEN I SHALL BE LEARNING THEM SOON! UNDYNE SAYS I AM HER BEST PUPIL! ANYWAY, YOU GO OFF ON WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO. I WILL BE READY AND WAITING WHEN YOU GET BACK. I LOOK FORWARD TO SHOWING OFF MY BATTLE SKILLS. YOU WILL BE VERY IMPRESSED, BROTHER!”

Giving a wave, Sans left the house and breathed out a sigh of relief. He was running out of excuses. Sooner or later, Papyrus was going to find out that he was a lot stronger than he appeared. Despite his ever present guilt at killing his own kind, Sans knew that what he did was necessary. The assassin paycheck kept Papyrus housed and fed. Poverty was nobody's friend and in a way, Asgore had saved his brother's life. 

However, Sans desperately hoped that Lady Toriel had a plan. If she meant what she wrote, perhaps there was hope. There was no need to jump to conclusions just because he had a bad dream. Toriel probably didn't even look like that crazy old lady, it was just a figment of his overactive imagination. The idea of making peace with the Humans appealed to him. He wanted to end this curfew, he wanted to end this feud that had seemed to go on forever. If there was a way for peace, Sans hoped it could happen.

Tensions had only gotten worse lately and it just made outright fighting more likely. Monsters and Humans hated each other but nobody attacked the other…unless someone stepped outside their home at the wrong time of day. Regardless of who they were or what they were, if it came to war both sides would take heavy casualties. Human or Monster, nobody would really win.


	5. Chapter 5

Finding Lady Toriel’s house was surprisingly easy, Sans noted as he looked at the address. After she had been missing for two hundred years, it turned out that she lived in a small cottage right on the edge of Ebott City. It was still considered Monster territory but most Monsters preferred living amongst each other in the downtown district. There were Humans here and it was making him uncomfortable as he walked past their homes. Even if this fragile truce still stood, Sans feared that the cover of night could only protect him for so long. He could almost feel the suspicious eyes watching him from the other side of the windows and the silence felt spooky.

Standing outside of the house, Sans gave a hesitant knock on the door. In almost an immediate fashion, a deep female voice asked, “Who’s there?”

Sans paused and then gave a smile. “Canoe!”

There was another pause. “Canoe who?”

“Canoe let me in? I’ve come all this way!” Sans answered, chuckling at the joke. The woman on the other side laughed too and opened the door revealing a feminine goat Monster.

“That was a good one!” Lady Toriel said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, Sans the skeleton is not only a musician but a comedian too...hmm...it's no wonder Frisk was so taken by you. Anyway, please do come in." She ushered the small Monster inside and he looked around the living room in amazement. This house, this room was nothing like he expected. Unlike the setting of his bad dream, this home was neither dark, mysterious or intimidating. It actually looked a lot like his grandmother's home. There was even the delicious smell of something cooking in the oven and it had a cozy fire in the fireplace. Sans was so awestruck that he didn’t notice that he was being watched. Frisk sat in a big plushy chair near the fireplace but this time her long winter cloak was missing.

“So what do you think?” Frisk said, smiling shyly at their visitor. “How do you like our home?”

Sans looked at Frisk and suddenly stopped in his tracks. Blushing at the realization that the beautiful woman from the bar was the same woman who Toriel called a daughter, he felt suddenly self-conscious. He didn’t really know what to say but Toriel broke the awkward silence when she came into the room with three mugs of tea balanced on a silver tray. There were also three slices of cinnamon butterscotch pie that smelled absolutely amazing. He could hardly refuse when Toriel offered him a steaming mug and a plate full of pie. “Be careful, it’s very hot.” Toriel said cheerfully. “I hope you like it. I had baked snail pie too but Frisk tells me that not everyone likes snails. However, this pie is my second favorite and I think it’s just as delicious.”

“Um…thanks.” Sans said, looking from Toriel to Frisk. The young woman started eating her slice of pie and was making happy noises as she tasted it. Sans could feel his soul fluttering excitedly in his chest. His eye sockets could not stop watching and he suddenly found himself envying the fork she was using. His cheekbones flushed and he studied the Human woman's little mouth, wondering at the softness of her lips. After a minute, Sans realized that he was staring. Looking away, Sans gave an embarrassed cough and turned his attention back on Toriel. “So…your letter mentioned that ya have a plan to end the curfew?” 

Toriel smiled proudly, taking a sip of her tea. "Yes, I was hoping to take advantage of your closeness with Asgore. If I remember correctly, he's one of your employers?"

"I wouldn't really call ours a close relationship." Sans shrugged. "I'm just his personal assassin. Every time he thinks that a Monster is about to betray him, he sends me out to give warnings or dust them. I rarely speak to Asgore in person; I get gold and do my job. I was chosen to be the leader because the other assassins are not particularly bright. Canine Monsters do their best work when they have someone giving them orders. So that's what I do. I receive the instructions from Asgore and I make sure those orders are carried out."

"What a peculiar job, an assassin against Monsters." Toriel mused, furrowing her brow. "But I have a question. If Asgore wants to get revenge against the Humans, why does he have you killing random Monsters? Why wouldn't he send you and the canines out to kill the Humans in charge? There are four main Human families in charge of maintaining the curfew, why doesn't he send you out to kill them? It would save a lot of trouble and he could achieve his goal of avenging our son."

“I don’t know.” Sans admitted, chewing on a bite of pie. “I was wonderin’ the same thing.”

“Humans are not very common in Ebott City.” Toriel explained patiently. “Many years ago there used to be hundreds of them but since my son was killed, most of the Humans moved to Monster free towns where they are not restricted to daylight hours. The curfew was originally only there to punish Monsters but Asgore was the one who decided to kill the Humans who wandered around at night. Asgore's threat was a great motivator, so most of the Humans left. Despite the propaganda of the past, Humans never really trusted Monsters. They tolerated them but they did not accept them. Chara's death was the final straw. Humans didn't just keep us in the night, they also decided to imprison us in the very city from which we lived. Humans could leave but Monsters could not. A barrier was put up around the city...sort of a fence that would dust a Monster the moment it is touched. The Human mayor from 200 years ago, felt this was the only method to keep Asgore from acting out his rage. He didn't just fear our son, he feared our whole species."

The goat Monster put down her teacup and wiped a tear from her eye. Her sadness could be felt and Frisk paused and went to comfort her mother. Frisk wrapped Toriel into a gentle hug and Toriel sniffled a bit, trying not to give into the despair that was still strongly felt. Sans watched and waited, unsure of what to do. Finally, he decided to continue the conversation, hoping it would help. "If there's a barrier...why don't the Monsters talk about it? They talk about the curfew but I didn't even know we couldn't leave the city."

Toriel sighed, wiping her eyes. "Would you tell your children that there was no way out? Older Monsters decided to keep their children far away from the Humans, so they used the curfew as an excuse because even if we rebelled, what would be the point? It would just bring more danger. The Human families that guarded the city would dust them if they walked out in the daytime and if they tried to leave, they would be killed regardless of the time. No, it's better that the young Monsters don't know the full extent of our punishment. That's why Asgore is so frustrated. There are more Monsters then Humans but Monsters don't know or care that they have a stronger advantage. Asgore was faced with this problem. How do you motivate Monsters to fight a war that they want no part in?" 

Sans frowned in confusion. “In the Monster Times there are many reports of close encounters with Humans. If there are so few Humans, why does the newspaper claim that we are on the brink of war? Why does it report that Humans have killed some Monsters? I know that some of them our lies...some of those Monsters I dusted myself but I always wondered why? Asgore issues the orders to assassinate the very Monsters he praises. Asgore is depicted as a beacon for diplomacy."

Toriel narrowed her eyes, "That newspaper is full of lies. Asgore isn't interested in diplomacy. He's not interested in making peace with the Humans. He hires assassins like you to do his dirty work and relies on their prejudice to do the rest. Fear alone can encourage fighting and if he kills enough Monsters while also blaming the Humans, maybe the loyal Monsters will get angry enough to fight Asgore's war. Monsters who are less than 200 years old could care less about avenging a Monster child killed before they were born. If you want to encourage fighting, the best way is to make it as personal. The moment a family member is killed or a loved one, Monsters are ready to fight."

Sans stared at Toriel with disbelief. “That…does make a lot of sense. I guess I never thought about it like that. Does Asgore really think killing Monsters will start up a war? This plan sounds like it's goin' to backfire and from what I've seen; most Monsters are content with the curfew and go about their life feeling reasonably happy. I mean sure, they don't like being restricted but they are safe. Even my brother treats Human hunting like some kind of game. Papyrus doesn't want to lay siege to the Human communities; he just likes building death traps to impress Undyne. My brother likes to be intimidating and he likes the idea of protecting Monster kind." 

Toriel nodded, “This situation works in our favor. Monsters prefer the easy life and for most…it is against their nature to kill.” She explained, exchanging a pleased look with Frisk. “Monsters will brag and claim that they will fight and kill any Human that walks their way, but a Monster has not killed a Human in a very long time. In fact, that is why I send my daughter Frisk out into the world to observe everyone. The younger Monsters don’t recognize what she is! It’s quite hilarious actually. We joke about it all the time. From her espionage, I have gained more insight. We have had long discussions and thus I have created a plan. Frisk will be our ambassador!”

Sans looked puzzled, “Ambassador? What do ya mean?”

“Frisk will go to the Humans and propose peace.” Toriel said patiently. “She will talk with them and try to convince the four families that this curfew needs to end. That Monsters don't deserve to be trapped inside a barrier. While she does this, I will talk to Monsters and convince them that peace is a better solution. Monsters and Humans need to find a common ground in order to end this fight. This ancient feud between our two species must stop."

"When Asgore realizes what ya want to do," Sans warned, "He won't be happy. He's not the same Monster ya knew all those years ago. He does not believe in mercy. He's always frustrated with the Monsters around him and he has dusted a few by himself. Asgore won't spare ya just because ya used to be his wife, if anything he might become angrier."

Toriel stood up from her chair and looked at them. Her eyes were shining with fierce determination. "Then it's time I take the leadership back from my ex-husband! I can no longer stand by and watch as this horrible situation plays out. I know some older Monsters who still respect me and even if this has become a kill or be killed world, I will show them a better way. I will tell them about Frisk. She will be a good ambassador and a representative for Humanity. We need more people like her."

"This plan might work." Sans admitted, not looking convinced, "But I still don't know what this has to do with me. Why did ya want me here?"

Frisk got up from her chair and went over to the skeleton. She pulled him to his feet and smiled happily. "Sans, I want you to come with me. I will arrange a meeting with the Human leaders, the four families that guard this town and you will be our Monster ambassador. We could be a team. Please say that you'll come. We could be great together."

"Me? Ya seriously want me to talk with a bunch of Humans? I'm not a good communicator! I'm not even a good Monster! How can I represent the best of Monsters if I have such a high level of violence? I've killed many, many times. Ya should take someone else. I can recommend another Monster to go." Sans protested, trying not to look Frisk in the eye. 

“I’ve had some reservations too, I’ll admit but I think you would be a great Monster ambassador." Toriel encouraged. " You have seen the good and the bad of our community. You could explain what we need to do and what we need to change. Sans…if you manage to convince the Humans that we are worthy to live among them, we could have sunlight again! We could have freedom!”

The skeleton remembered his postcards. He thought of all the sunlit places around the world. There were beaches, countryside and far off towns that he had only dreamt about. All he had to do was go with Frisk and talk to the Human leaders. It was a far better plan than dusting innocent Monsters on Asgore’s orders, just to ignite a war that would only lead to more death. He was tired of killing and Toriel’s idea was appealing. Freedom and the chance to see the whole world!

“Alright…I’ll talk to the Humans but I have to talk with Papyrus first.” Sans replied, looking resigned. “It’s goin’ to be hard stopping all these secret missions for Asgore. That assassin salary is roughly 2/3rds of my income. I have some gold saved up but it’s not a lot. Papyrus and I could lose our house if I don’t keep up with the mortgage payments! I guess I could always find a new job but with this economy…”

Toriel smiled gently. “Sans, don’t you worry about the gold; I plan on paying you for your help.”

Sans looked at the goat Monster in surprise. “Ya seriously want to pay me for my help? That’s really nice of ya. I was thinkin’ of helpin’ ya regardless but if ya want to help me and my brother out…well I am grateful. I can’t tell ya how much I appreciate it.”

Frisk smiled, pleased by San’s comment. “When you go home tonight, I was thinking of going with you. I want to meet your brother. I have only talked with you but from what I’ve already seen, Papyrus seems pretty cool. I bet he is really fun to talk to and he is always so enthusiastic!”

“I don’t know…if Papyrus figures out that you are Human, he might attack ya.” Sans said awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his neck and shyly could not meet her eyes. “I just don’t want ya to get hurt. My brother might not be strong but he likes fighting.”

Exchanging a look with Toriel, Frisk laughed. “Sans, I am quite capable of taking care of myself. I have been trained to fight and I know how to defend myself if needed. I’m not worried about Papyrus. In fact…I think he will like me, so there is no use in assuming the worst will happen.”

Sans didn’t look convinced but he was running out of excuses. Frisk looked so excited about the prospect of meeting his brother; he couldn’t really deny her this experience. “Well…I suppose it might work.” The skeleton relented, “But if I say go hide, I want ya to hide, okay?”

“Of course!” Frisk agreed, “I understand. We’ll go there tonight and if Papyrus asks, we’ll tell him we met at Grillby’s, which is the honest truth. Then I’ll mention Mother and she can visit Papyrus while we are off doing ambassador work beyond Ebott City. Mother can keep him company and maybe she can convince him to join our cause. She is a very good negotiator.”

Toriel preened happily, “Negotiating is an art, one that I happily have practice throughout the years.” She said proudly. Glancing at her mantelpiece clock, her expression fell. “Oh dear, it is very late and the sun will be up in a few hours. I suggest that you both head towards the skeleton home and get this plan started. I shall come later once the sun goes down again, later tonight.”

After getting up, Sans slowly reached for Frisk’s hand. He needed to touch her in order to teleport but for some reason, he felt extra shy about it this time. Coughing awkwardly, he intertwined his phalanges with her fingers and waved goodbye to Toriel. Disappearing instantly, the skeleton transported them both back to his household. It took a lot of magical energy and teleporting a passenger meant he had to make a few rest stops but Frisk did not seem to mind. She just smiled patiently. The sun wasn’t even a glimpse on the horizon when they made it to the skeleton house. They had made it home with time to spare, over an hour before the sun rose.

From all the noise coming from inside the house, it was obvious that Papyrus was home too. Undyne was a stickler to the rules and only made sure that his brother kept to the curfew. They had only just appeared on the porch when Papyrus slammed opened the door in his excitement. 

“BROTHER! WHAT PERFECT TIMING!” He shouted happily. “I AM READY FOR OUR SPARING MATCH AND I THOUGHT THAT WE COULD…UM…SANS…WHO IS THIS?”


	6. Chapter 6

The night had been busy. With the distractions of meeting Toriel, reuniting with Frisk and being coerced into the responsibility of being the Monster ambassador, Sans had completely forgotten about his promise to spar with Papyrus. Seeing his brother’s excitement, Sans felt immediately guilty. Even with his persistent nagging, Papyrus genuinely wanted to help him and sparing was something they used to do all the time. However, this situation had become very complicated. Unsure of how his brother would react, Sans could only sweat nervously as Papyrus studied Frisk. 

The taller skeleton scratched his skull in confusion. He had just enough manners not to outright ask what she was but it did not lessen his curiosity. Trying not to stare, Papyrus gave them both a friendly smile. “HELLO SANS! WELCOME HOME! WHO’S YOUR FRIEND?”

Before Sans could think of a reply, the young woman took charge. She smiled warmly at the taller skeleton. “Papyrus, don’t you remember me? My name is Frisk, we already met yesterday.”

Now Sans was the one confused. Papyrus studied her for a moment longer before finally, his whole face lit up. “OH YES! NOW I REMEMBER! I WAS RETURNING HOME AND YOU WERE DELIVERING A LETTER INTO OUR MAILBOX. YOU WERE THE WOMAN WEARING THE LONG WINTER CLOAK! YOU LOOK VERY DIFFERENT WITHOUT YOUR HOOD ON. HMM…WAIT A MINUTE! I THINK I UNDERSTAND BETTER NOW!”

“Come again?” Sans asked, but his brother wasn’t listening.

“A PRETTY WOMAN DELIVERS A LETTER FOR SANS. SANS READS THE LETTER AND HAS TROUBLE SLEEPING. HE ACTS MOODY ALL NIGHT BEFORE DISAPPEARING AND COMING BACK WITH SAID WOMAN. WHY DIDN’T I SEE THIS BEFORE? BROTHER, IT’S NO WONDER YOU WERE NERVOUS! YOU WERE BOTH ON A DATE!”

Sans became flustered, blushing. “Boss, you got it all wrong! I just…Frisk and I…well…”

“IT’S OKAY, THERE’S NO NEED TO DENY IT SANS! IT’S SO OBVIOUS.” Papyrus chortled, “IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER, I HAPPILY GIVE MY APPROVAL. IF YOU EVER NEED SOME ROMANTIC ADVICE I EVEN HAVE A BOOK YOU CAN BORROW!”

Mortified, Sans looked to Frisk. He hoped that she would clear up the confusion but instead, the Human woman winked coyly at him, causing the skeleton to blush more. “Well, you can’t deny your brother’s logic. It seems we have been found out!” The Monster looked away in embarrassment and the young woman laughed gently. Turning to the brother, she began the first step of the plan. “We’ve actually come from my mother’s house. I wanted Sans to meet her.”

Papyrus nodded, “I UNDERSTAND, FAMILY IMPRESSIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR A RELATIONSHIP. I AM PLEASED THAT I GOT TO MEET YOU AS WELL FRISK.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Frisk said cheerfully. “It’s good that we can meet properly. You’ve probably already heard of my mother, her name is Toriel. We live on the edge of Ebott City and we have heard about your talent in making Human traps. Mother was hoping to come by and meet with you, if only to exchange ideas. She’s a big fan of puzzles, you see and she thinks that you could master her puzzles easily. Mother was very impressed when she heard of your skills.”

Papyrus puffed out his chest proudly, soaking up the praise. “IF LADY TORIEL WISHES TO EXCHANGE IDEAS, WHO AM I TO DENY HER MY PRESENCE? WOWIE! TO THINK THAT I HAVE BECOME SO WELL KNOWN THAT THE LEADER’S EX-WIFE WANTS TO VISIT ME, IT’S AN HONOR! FRISK, YOU ARE A KIND MONSTER TO RECOMMEND ME AND TO THINK, WE HAVE ONLY MET ONCE BEFORE. AS A WAY OF THANKING YOU, YOU SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO WITNESS MY SPECIAL ATTACK. SANS PROMISED TO SPAR WITH ME BEFORE BEDTIME. DO STAY HERE AND OBSERVE!”

“I’d be happy to stay, if you don’t mind the company.” Frisk agreed, she glanced over at Sans.

Feeling frustrated, the smaller skeleton made no comment as he went inside. He was tired of this conversation and after the night he was having, Sans desperately wanted a drink. His hopeful expression dropped when he opened up the fridge. Papyrus had gone food shopping but instead of his usual mustard, there were only bottles of ketchup. Scowling, he slammed shut the door and marched over to his brother. “Papyrus, what’s the deal? I prefer mustard over ketchup! Why did ya even bother with the food shopping if ya didn’t get the drink I like?”

Unfazed, Papyrus shrugged. “THE KETCHUP WAS ON SALE. IT’S ALSO NOT AS STRONG AS MUSTARD AND I THINK IT’S TIME YOU STOP DRINKING YOUR LIFE AWAY ON CONDIMENTS. IT’S NOT HEALTHY AND I’M VERY TIRED OF SEEING YOU DRUNK!”

“Fine, be like that!” Sans grumbled, his voice dangerously low. “But don’t think I’m going to forget about this. I’m tired of ya telling me what to do. I’m not some helpless baby bones! Ya want to fight, let’s fight. I need to burn off this pent up energy anyway. So are ya ready to spar or do I have to wait until I become an ancient?”

“OF COURSE I AM READY TO FIGHT!” Papyrus huffed irritably, “I HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL NIGHT FOR YOUR LAZY BONES TO ARRIVE. WELL…COME ALONG FRISK, YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED WITH OUR FIGHTING SKILLS. MAKE SURE YOU GIVE US PLENTY OF SPACE, THIS COULD GET DEADLY! MY SPECIAL ATTACK WILL SURELY IMPRESS YOU; I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR WEEKS! NOT EVEN SANS HAS WITNESSED THE STRENGTH OF THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS!”

After giving a maniacal laugh, Papyrus promptly led the way to the training room at the back of the house. 

There were mats everywhere, on the walls and on the floor. This way, no skeleton risked breaking a bone. While he prided himself on his fierce appearance and quick reflexes, Papyrus was very adamant about safety. In his opinion, breaking a bone during a practice fight was not just painful, it was reckless! Food wasn’t always on hand to heal the body and if there was an emergency, being wounded jeopardized their Human hunting skills. A Human could appear in the night at any moment, Papyrus wanted to be prepared. As Frisk looked around the room, she found a place to sit and watched as the two brothers got ready for their sparing match.

Papyrus began stretching his bones and cracking his knuckles. He did a few jumping jacks to make sure his agility was on par. Sans just watched and quietly waited, his left eye starting to glow in anticipation. The smaller skeleton was completely still and if Frisk didn’t know better, she would think that he was nervous but just looking at Sans’ expression, there was something dark there just under the surface. Sans watched his brother and grinned, his gold tooth glowing amongst his sharply pointed teeth. Once Papyrus was ready, the two brothers met in the middle. At first they were still, than they started circling each other like predators waiting to strike. 

Sans looked very angry but upon seeing Frisk’s concerned reaction, he glanced at her and winked. Blushing, Frisk smiled. She was curious about Sans. She knew that he was strong but this would be the first time that she would see him in action. Even if they weren’t planning on dusting the other, the room felt just as tense. Suddenly, out of nowhere Papyrus began sending out bone attacks in rapid succession. They were sharply pointed femurs, blue and white all aimed towards Sans but the smaller skeleton didn’t falter. He moved out of the way with such speed, not one bone hit him. Sans smirked, watching as Papyrus kept trying but failing to hurt his older brother.

When Papyrus paused to take a breath, the smaller skeleton attacked. Even with the knowledge that Sans was holding back, it did not look like it. Using blue magic, Sans created a wall of blue bones and forced his brother into a corner. Papyrus desperately tried not to move but it did not matter because HP was lowered as he breathed in and out with rapid succession. Wincing in pain, the taller skeleton rolled along the wall and out of the corner, relying on speed to avoid Sans as he continued shooting out moving walls of white bone. Leaping from the few moving platforms given, Papyrus managed to jump over his brother and land on the other side of him.

Whipping around, Sans scowled. His left eye glowed even brighter and by using his hand, the smaller skeleton controlled gravity and slammed Papyrus hard, first into the right wall and then into left wall. HP dropped rapidly again as Papyrus groaned with each impact. Finally able to react, he started throwing out more bones at Sans. These femurs were not as sharp as before but in a dramatic show of defeat, Sans let himself be hit by one and then collapsed pathetically to the floor. “I’m done!” Sans groaned. “You are the winner Boss. I’m bone dead exhausted!”

“REALLY, THAT’S IT?” Papyrus said, panting with exhaustion. “BUT I-I WAS JUST GETTING STARTED! THE FIGHT CANNOT BE OVER NOW; I DIDN’T EVEN USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK! SANS, YOU ARE TOO WEAK! NEXT TIME STAY FIGHTING LONGER SO I CAN SHOW FRISK MY SPECIAL ATTACK! IT’S A VERY COOL MOVE!”

Sans got up, brushing himself off. “Eh, don’t worry about it. There’s always next time and besides, this was a good fight. Now let’s go get some food and heal up. Ya really got me good in the beginning. I think one of your bones clocked me upside the skull, even if I moved away. I need to heal my lost HP before I start heading off to bed.”

Papyrus was not convinced but he didn’t bother complaining. Despite his bravado, the taller skeleton had lost nearly half his HP. Some of his bones were fractured and he limped as he walked. Sighing dramatically, Papyrus followed Sans into the kitchen where they both started to fix themselves some food. Frisk watched them curiously, amused how they went from brutal fighting to brotherly affection in so few minutes. Even their constant bickering seemed tamer.

Taking an experimental sip from one of the ketchup containers, Sans made a disgusted face. “It’s way too sweet! It is pure sugar mixed with tomatoes!” He complained loudly, “It’s hardly strong enough to get me drunk and the taste is horrible. Why do the food stores even bother selling it? I can’t believe Boss didn’t buy me my mustard!”

“I guess you never had ketchup with french-fries?” Frisk teased, grinning at his sour expression.

Sans looked at her with confusion, he looked at the ketchup bottle. “Ya use this condiment on fries? Huh…that’s kinda weird. I suppose ya put mustard on french-fries too?”

Frisk laughed, “Well…some people like mustard but I think french-fries with ketchup are the best. You can even put ketchup on food like hamburgers and hotdogs. I think you would like it!”

Giving a naughty smirk, Sans wiggled his bony eyebrows. “I guess we will just have to go to Grillby’s together and try that out. I am always up for some new experiences! Maybe we can have some new experiences together…what do ya say sweetheart?”

His innuendo was obvious and Frisk giggled. Their moment together did not last long, Papyrus came over holding a heated up bowl of leftover spaghetti. “I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND ALREADY YOU ARE PLANNING THE NEXT DATE?” Papyrus asked, exasperated. He chewed his meal, thoughtfully looking from his brother to Frisk. “I HOPE THAT MY BROTHER IS BEING RESPECTFUL. I WOULD HATE TO INTERVENE.”

Embarrassed, Frisk stuttered. “I…um…Sans has always been kind to me Papyrus. Don’t worry.”

Glancing at the window, Sans noted that the sun had been up for at least an hour. It was time for sleep and he couldn’t wait to take a shower and sink into his comfortable bed. There was just one problem…Frisk was still there. While he didn’t mind her company, he didn’t want to leave her alone with his little brother. Papyrus still didn’t know she was a Human. Despite his enthusiasm for Human hunting, the taller skeleton wasn’t much of a scholarly reader. His text books were untouched. Papyrus and Frisk were chatting casually and while he was embarrassed, Sans knew he had to do something quickly. If his brother knew that Frisk was a Human, he might attempt to kill her. So, willing his courage, Sans interrupted them. “Frisk? Do you… want to spend the day here? A Monster like ya self might be killed if ya step out in the sunshine to go home.”

Sans gave Frisk an anxious look, glancing at Papyrus. Frisk seemed to understand and she nodded. "That would be fine. Thank you."

Papyrus glanced at the two of them, looking suspicious. “WELL, IF FRISK IS GOING TO SPEND THE DAY SLEEPING HERE, I EXPECT YOU TO BE A GENTLEMAN SANS! PLEASE REMEMBER THAT I AM IN THE NEXT ROOM AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY HANKY PANKY GOING ON WHILE I AM TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP. IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG NIGHT AND I NEED TO BE AT MY FULL POTENTIAL TOMORROW! I PLAN ON DESIGNING MORE DEATH TRAPS FOR HUMANS. UNDYNE EXPECTS TO SEE THE SKETCHES SOON. IT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT!"

Sans just gaped at his brother, his skull flushed at the very idea. “Boss! I’m not gonna jump her bones when you are sleeping in the other room! Give me some credit here! I just thought it would be safer if she stayed here with me and left in the nightfall.”

His brother didn’t look convinced but Papyrus didn’t argue. Instead, the taller skeleton made his way to his own bedroom and gave a loud exaggerated yawn. “WHATEVER, YOU SAY SANS!”

Frisk giggled at the two skeleton brothers but followed Sans to his own bedroom. She couldn’t help but blush at the connotation too but she was better at hiding her flustered expression. Sans didn’t say anything but he handed her a sleeping shirt and headed to the bathroom. He was ready for a long cold shower, after tonight, Sans felt that he needed it more than ever. If Frisk really was going to sleep in his room, he had to keep himself from falling apart with anxious nerves.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely kudos, comments and bookmarks! This chapter was a lot of fun to write. A bit of back story to both characters and things become a little more heated. ;)

The next few hours seemed to drag by. Sans was tired but he couldn’t fall asleep properly with Frisk being only inches from his side. He could hear her breathing softly and seeing her curled up form was making him restless. Up until this point, he had tried to convince himself that Frisk was off limits. A Monster like him had no business with a Human; much less any business in courting one… but things had changed in the last few hours. Now there was a chance for the curfew to end and maybe that could mean that Humans and Monsters could become closer.

He knew that Frisk could have slept on the couch. If he had felt gentlemanly, he could have sacrificed his comfort and given her the bed but Sans wasn’t a gentleman. He was a Monster and he was a selfish one. Having her sleep in the same bed as him was awkward but Frisk didn’t seem to mind and Sans really didn’t care about conventions. He wasn’t going to touch her but now that he was actually in bed with her…Sans felt more temptation then he had ever felt before.

“Sans? Are you asleep?” Frisk asked quietly, it was two hours since they had lain down to bed.

Feigning a yawn, Sans turned and looked at her. “Hmm…what is it? Is somethin’ wrong?”

“Did I make you uncomfortable earlier?” Frisk whispered. “I’m sorry if I did. When I get really nervous, I sometimes flirt more than is appropriate. You barely know me and I guess I got a little carried away. It’s just…I really like you Sans…more than I’ve liked anyone and I’ve been looking forward to meeting you ever since I saw you at Grillby’s. When I first went on missions for my mother, I loved watching you and you were the first Monster I thought of when she asked my opinion for a Monster ambassador. I thought we could work well together if you knew me.”

Sans thought about this and smiled mischievously, “Hmm…just by curiosity, the other night I heard a noise comin’ from behind me when I was walkin’ home with Grillby. Were ya followin’ me home from the bar? It is the only explanation I have, since ya somehow knew exactly where I lived in order to deliver a letter from Lady Toriel.”

“If I did follow you…are you mad?” Frisk asked meekly. “Mother really wanted to talk to you.”

Sans laughed, “Heh, I’m just glad I wasn’t losin’ my mind. I knew I heard somethin’ that day. I was afraid it was one of Asgore’s other assassins, ones that were hired to dust me because I somehow broke a rule. The Monster leader is paranoid and I’ve had coworkers end up on his hit list because they displeased him in some way.”

“That’s awful!” Frisk exclaimed, looking horrified, “I am so glad that you are going to be working for my mother instead! I don't want you to end up dusted just because Asgore happens to be in a bad mood! How can anybody justify killing their own employees? Why do the other assassins go through with it, knowing that any one of them could be next?”

“Ya try not to think about it." Sans admitted. "But if it's worth anything, I once thought I was doing the right thing. It might not be good for the soul but all this gathered EXP, leads to faster kills and more gold coming in. Papyrus and I would probably be dead if it wasn't for that bit of gold I earned. I told ya I'm not a good Monster. I was actually happy when I got an assignment because it meant another week's worth of food."

Frisk turned slowly around and faced him, lying on the bed with Sans, she reached for his hands. The skeleton was surprised by her bold gesture but he found himself moving closer to her until their knees were almost touching. “If you were not trapped in Ebott City, you wouldn't have had to gain that EXP at all. Your LV could be 1, just like mine. This is what I'm talking about! If the Humans didn't treat the Monsters so cruelly, keeping them locked up in the night, you wouldn't have had the same hardships. I know you can be a good Monster Sans. I've seen the way you treat your friends and your brother. I want to make this right but most Humans don't seem to care."

Her sincerity and the closeness between them made Sans feel flustered. He decided to change the subject before things became more heated. “If ya don’t mind me askin’, how did ya end up with Lady Toriel as a mother? I was caught off guard when I heard that she had a daughter and well…it’s not like you’re a Monster. How did ya meet her?”

“I was a runaway.” Frisk replied simply, “I once lived in a house just outside the city limits. For generations, my birth family was tasked with the containment of Monsters. My parents and my grandparents before them walked the streets during the day to make sure no Monster went out at the wrong time. According to my birth mother, the curfew was punishment because long ago a Monster child named Asriel killed a Human child named Chara. They were playing and Asriel had killed Chara with his magic. The Mayor, his wife and two guardsmen found Asriel standing over Chara’s dead body. The poor kid was covered in burns. In their rage, the Mayor ordered his guards to kill Asriel and not long after, he decreed that Monsters will never see the light of day again. I was told that someday I would have to patrol the streets to keep them in their prison.”

Sans looked at Frisk in shock but the Human woman continued. “When I was ten years old, I realized that I didn’t like fighting. All that horrible killing…it just wasn’t for me. My dream was to be a singer and to make people happy. So I sang all the time until my parents made me stop. They called my dream unrealistic and impractical. I was trained for combat but I was determined to get away. So one night, I crawled under the barrier that keeps Monsters in Ebott City and ran into Toriel as she was doing her nightly shopping. She was frightened that Asgore or one of his assassins would find me, so she kept me safe in her home. She heard my tale and adopted me as her daughter. No one, not Human or Monster knew of my existence there and that was fine by me. After I became an adult, I realized most Monsters didn’t know what a Human looked like. We wanted to end the curfew and the fear, so Mother and I came up with the plan we have now.”

“That’s one hell of a story!” Sans breathed, “You were very brave to come into enemy territory. Ya could have been killed or worse. Ya see…we Monsters have a similar story but instead of Asriel killing Chara with magic, Asriel found Chara lying dead on the ground. We don’t really know how Chara died…but that doesn’t mean Asriel killed her. The Mayor assumed that just because Asriel was a Monster, he was guilty of murder.”

“Were you there?” Frisk asked, “I’ve been thinking…it’s probably the Monster’s story that has more truth. Humans have shorter life spans and our story has been passed down from a few generations. I know that Humans have a tendency for bias… so perhaps we got it all wrong.”

Sans shrugged, “Eh, I’m not that old. I think my father Wingdings Gaster was alive but he was probably a baby bones. Nah…if ya want my opinion, I think Asriel was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He thought Chara was playin’ a game. When the Mayor found him, Asriel tried to explain but the two guardsmen dusted him before he could speak. He was just a kid but there was no mercy. I wonder what really happened that day. What killed poor Chara? Was it an accident? Who knows? I just think that it is cruel to punish every single Monster in Ebott City.”

Frisk nodded, “That’s why I want to make things better between our two species. It’s been two hundred years since the curfew began. I’m tired of seeing the fear and hatred between Humans and Monsters. If we acknowledge this tragedy as an accident, maybe we can finally move on.”

“Ya really are special.” Sans commented, impulsively stroking Frisk’s cheek. “It’s a miracle that you’re alive and on our side. Ya are just like an angel that came in the night to rescue us from our fate. How do we Monsters deserve ya? I know I’m not worthy.”

Frisk giggled, snuggling closer into Sans’ arms. “Of course you are worthy. Nobody deserves to be imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit. The two children died and it’s very sad, but it’s time we moved on and looked to the future. Let’s end the killing together, side by side. I couldn’t imagine a better Monster to help me achieve this dream. You are braver then you realize Sans.”

Sans smiled, curling his arms around the young woman. She was much smaller than him and after their conversation; he was feeling more relaxed and sleepier. Frisk gave a big yawn and on impulse she reached up and kissed him before falling asleep soon after. Sans felt her lips touch him as light as a butterfly’s wing and he smiled affectionately. Soon he fell asleep too and it was the best sleep he could remember in years. Hours passed and before he knew it, night returned.

Frisk was the last one to wake up. Sans could hear Lady Toriel knocking on the door and he glanced up, noticing it was 9:30 PM. They had slept in. After meeting her the previous night, sparing in the early morning and staying up talking, Frisk and Sans had ended up sleeping far longer than expected and now Lady Toriel was at their house. From her knocking, it sounded like she was growing impatient. Luckily, Papyrus opened the door and the two started chatting amiably. It turned out, Lady Toriel was here to talk with Papyrus and teach him about puzzles.

Slowly getting out of bed, Sans gently woke Frisk who looked at him in confusion. Gesturing for her to be quiet, he nodded and she realized that her mother was actually here. Blushing, Frisk quickly got dressed and Sans couldn’t help but watch in amusement as the young woman scurried about his bedroom. Nothing scandalous had actually happened but Frisk was wearing one of his nightshirts. Considering that Toriel was aware of her adopted daughter’s crush on him, it was hardly appropriate to be seen wandering out of his room. Sans did not bother to hide his naughty expression. He couldn’t help but wish something explicit had happened but it was early.

After all…they had just met. The time for boning would come later. He just had to be patient.

“How long has my mother been here?” Frisk whispered.

Sans smiled reassuringly, “Oh…only a few minutes sweetheart. I wouldn’t worry too much. If ya want, I can teleport and come out from another room. That way ya don’t have to be so embarrassed to be seen with me. They would not even notice!”

Frisk blushed but nodded, “I’m not ashamed of you it’s just Papyrus might get the wrong idea.”

Grinning a Cheshire smile, Sans came over and hugged her from behind. He gave her neck a lick and nuzzled his face into her hair. He felt Frisk shiver in response. “I will be seein’ ya soon…”


	8. Chapter 8

Teleporting to the kitchen, Sans made sure to give Frisk some space. He grabbed a bottle of ketchup from the fridge and sauntered into the living room. Looking particularly pleased with himself, the skeleton made his way over to the couch. In the center of the living room, Papyrus and Toriel were debating and discussing the different functions of puzzles while his younger brother looked confused. “Hey Tori! 'Sup Boss!” Sans said, “How’s it goin’?”

“Good evening Sans!” Toriel said cheerfully. “I hope we didn’t wake you. When Papyrus mentioned that you and Frisk were sleeping in tonight, I decided to begin telling Papyrus about the difference between traps and puzzles. Your brother has quite the talent for arranging difficult combinations. In fact, I think he might just be a prodigy."

“WELL, I HAVE BEEN DESIGNING TRAPS SINCE I WAS A BABY BONES!” Papyrus boasted proudly. “NOBODY EVER TAUGHT ME, I TAUGHT MYSELF. HOWEVER, THESE PUZZLES YOU MENTION ARE NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL. THEY DO NOT INVOLVE DEATH OR REALLY...KILLING OF ANY KIND. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THEM."

“The purpose is to prove your intellect!” Toriel explained; her tone completely serious. “Traps are okay but what’s the point? If you kill the Human, the Human never appreciates the effort it took to create the trap. They don’t see the skill involved nor do they appreciate all the hard work that was put into creating the arrangement. Killing is too quick and quite gruesome. When I was a much younger Monster, I was well respected for the puzzles I created. As a teacher, I taught Monster children how to make them. I was even commissioned to create puzzles for Asgore's family. This was to protect their royal home from intruders, be they Monster or Human. That was also how I met Asgore. We ended up getting married not long after. My...that was a long time ago...centuries really!"

Papyrus was listening with rapt attention, his eye sockets shining. "WOWIE! I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT LIKE THAT. LADY TORIEL, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND MORE ENJOYMENT WITH DESIGNING TRAPS AND SETTING THEM UP. UNDYNE SAYS I SHOULD MAKE MY TRAPS AS LETHAL AS POSSIBLE. SHE IS OBSESSED WITH KILLING HUMANS BUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PATROL, WE NEVER SEE THEM. I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE KILLING PART. I JUST WANT TO IMPRESS HER WITH MY TRAPS AND GROW STRONGER. LV 1 MONSTERS ARE NOT WELL RESPECTED IN EBOTT CITY. I WANT EVERY MONSTER TO REALIZE MY EVIL GENIUS!"

“Is that really all you want?” Toriel asked gently, “Respect can be earned through other ways.”

Papyrus was becoming impatient. “LIKE WHAT? HUMANS ARE THE ENEMY! I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY SEEN A HUMAN BUT UNDYNE TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE BAD, EVIL CREATURES. TO KILL A HUMAN AND GAIN THE RESPECT OF MY PEERS WOULD BE AMAZING! IT'D BE WORTH IT! I WOULD BE FINALLY ABLE TO RUB THOSE DOGS' NOSES IN IT. I WANT TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEAT ANY ENEMY THAT DARES LOOK MY WAY. I WANT TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT MY BROTHER AND MY FRIENDS."

Toriel was silent for a moment. "Papyrus, you've already met my daughter. Do you think she is a bad, evil creature?"

“WHAT DOES FRISK HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?” Papyrus demanded. “I AM TALKING ABOUT HUMANS! I DON’T USE MY TRAPS TO HURT OTHER MONSTERS!”

“But Frisk is not a Monster." Toriel explained. "She is a Human."

Papyrus was silent for a moment, then he noticed Frisk coming out of Sans’ bedroom. The young woman looked a bit more ruffled then before; wearing last night’s outfit and her hair seemed a bit out of place. Frisk's cheeks were pink and she looked a bit dazed, but other than that, the young woman looked harmless. When Frisk noticed Toriel, she smiled warmly but stopped when she noticed Papyrus was staring at her. They eyed each other warily for a moment before finally; the taller skeleton went to the bookshelf and pulled out one of his textbooks. Riffling through the pages of the large book, he studied the pictures of Humans and then he glanced at Frisk again. Within seconds, Papyrus' suspicious look turned into an angry glare. His sharp teeth were bared and the room became deathly silent as he looked from the Human woman to his older brother. Sans was still in the room, sipping his ketchup and lounging lazily on the living room couch. Snapping his textbook shut, Papyrus marched over to Sans and looked down at his brother, hands on his hips.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT FRISK WAS A HUMAN?” Papyrus demanded.

“Well…mostly ’cause ya would have overreacted…just like you’re doing now.” Sans said, trying to calm his raging brother. “Look, it’s nothin’ to rattle your bones over! If Frisk was dangerous, I wouldn’t have bothered bringing her home. I think I am a decent judge of character and I would have been able to tell if she was a threat.”

“HOW CAN I TRUST YOUR JUDGEMENT?” Papyrus growled. “EVER SINCE YOU BECAME ATTRACTED TO A HUMAN WOMAN, YOUR JUDGEMENT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED SANS! FRISK COULD HAVE KILLED US BOTH IN OUR SLEEP! I COULD HAVE KILLED HER AND EARNED RECOGNITION AND RESPECT FROM BOTH UNDYNE AND ASGORE! I COULD HAVE BECOME A GUARDSMAN! HOW COULD YOU SANS? YOU ARE DATING A HUMAN AND HUMANS ARE THE ENEMY! HUMANS ARE THE REASON WHY EVERY MONSTER IS TRAPPED IN THE CURFEW!”

Sans slowly got up and teleported to Frisk’s side. Standing protectively in front of the young woman, his left eye glowed and his flexed his phalanges threateningly. His magic was just under the surface. Papyrus’ eyes glowed too and he approached them, his expression cold and full of fury. Watching them both, Toriel huffed impatiently; the Boss Monster had had enough of this. She stood between the two feuding brothers and her own magical aura sparked in the air making the room hot from her fire magic. Frisk’s eyes widened as she watched her mother. Never before had Toriel revealed the true strength of her power. Toriel preferred to use reason rather than rage.

“Stop this!” She commanded, “Stop this right now! That is enough Papyrus! No more threats!”

“BUT LADY TORIEL…” Papyrus whined, but Toriel didn’t budge. The goat Monster crossed her arms and looked at the taller skeleton with disapproval, until finally Papyrus calmed down and looked away. “I…I AM SORRY…FOR OVERREACTING.” He muttered apologetically.

“Frisk is my daughter.” Toriel stated, staring firmly at the two skeletons. “I have raised her since she was a ten year old girl. When I found her, she was hurt and all alone. It wasn’t the barrier that had hurt her…no…the barrier doesn’t affect Humans. Instead, I found old scars all across her back and bruises on her arms. I healed her and helped her become the strong young woman you see here today. As far as I am concerned, Frisk is my true daughter and my only living child. It doesn’t matter if we are different species. She has a good heart and she wants to change the ways of Humans and Monsters. I didn’t just come here to talk to you about puzzles. I wanted to talk about peace. Already I have confronted Sans and he has agreed to become the Monster ambassador and Frisk, she will be the Human ambassador. Together they will negotiate peace between our two communities to end the curfew forever. I plan to end this evil habit of killing.”

Papyrus looked skeptical. “THAT SOUNDS UNREALISTIC. EVEN IF FRISK AND MY BROTHER MANAGE TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE HUMANS, THAT WON’T CHANGE HISTORY. CHARA WAS STILL FOUND DEAD AND ASRIEL WAS STILL CONSIDERED THE MURDERER, MONSTERS WILL STILL BE HOSTILE TO HUMANS.”

“While it’s true that Monsters have a long memory,” Toriel began, “That was many Human generations ago. If our kind is to survive, we have to move on and move forward. Papyrus, I was hoping that you could help me convince the other Monsters that not all Humans are bad. You have spent the last 15 hours around Frisk…has she shown signs of being violent? Has my Human daughter attacked you? Did ever you feel that your life was threatened in any way?”

“NO…FRISK HAS BEEN A GOOD VISITOR.” Papyrus admitted. “SHE HASN’T GIVEN ME ANY REASON TO HATE HER AND I SUPPOSE IT’S UNLIKELY THAT EVERY HUMAN IS VIOLENT. THERE ARE GOOD MONSTERS AND BAD MONSTERS, SO I SUPPOSE THERE ARE GOOD HUMANS AND BAD HUMANS. FRISK DID NOT EVEN ATTACK US WHEN SANS AND I WERE WEAKENED FROM OUR SPARING MATCH. OKAY…I’LL ADMIT IT. I WAS WRONG TO ASSUME FRISK WAS BAD BUT WHAT IF UNDYNE LEARNS ABOUT THE MERCY I GAVE TO A HUMAN? SHE IS GOING TO BE ANGRY!” 

Toriel went over and place a hand on Papyrus’ shoulder and looked at him with understanding. Her voice was calm, motherly and gentle. “While it’s true that your friend will probably be angry, I am sure we can reason with her… just like I am reasoning with you. Sometimes in order to earn respect you have to fight for the righteous cause instead of the popular one. It will not be easy but don’t you worry about Undyne. When the time is right and Frisk and Sans are off being ambassadors, we will go talk with her together. I knew her parents and if Undyne is as hotheaded as her mother was, I can understand why you would be nervous. Still, there is nothing to fear.”

The taller skeleton smiled, looking embarrassed. “UNDYNE HAS BEEN MY FRIEND…EVEN WHEN THE OTHER MONSTERS IGNORED ME. I DO NOT WANT TO LET HER DOWN.”

“If she really is your true friend, she will understand.” Toriel reassured. “You will have to be patient with her and standing up to a friend takes a lot of courage, especially if you are fighting for a noble cause like peace between the species. That earns you a lot of respect in my opinion.”

Papyrus did his best to look annoyed but Toriel was such a sweet Monster, his resolve to argue and find excuses was breaking. The final straw was Frisk coming over and giving him a hug. The young woman was smaller than him and her head rested against his armored rib cage. Papyrus looked down and awkwardly patted her head. “I AM SORRY I ALMOST ATTACKED YOU.”

Seeing the diffused tension, Sans too relaxed. He looked at his brother and smiled cheekily. “Boss, ya got the easiest job! I’m actually a bit jealous. Frisk and I are going into strange territory to try and convince unpredictable Humans that we Monsters deserve a second chance. If I didn’t have Frisk by my side, I would be super nervous…but I trust her. All ya got to do is spread the word of peace and prosperity. How hard can that be? Me on the other hand, I’m goin’ to be the first Monster to leave Ebott City in over two hundred years! Yeah…it turns out our punishment wasn’t just the curfew; it was being locked up in this itty bitty bit of land. It’s really messed up!”

Papyrus frowned, “THAT SOUNDS DANGEROUS! I SHOULD GO HELP PROTECT YOU.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Sans shrugged, “Tibia honest, I am stronger then ya know. Besides, this is supposed to be diplomacy. Frisk will go first, get permission for my entry and we will talk to a bunch of stuck up old Humans. It shouldn’t be too bad.”

“HOW IS THAT NOT BAD? YOU WILL BE VULNERABLE!” Papyrus countered irritably. “FRISK DOES NOT KNOW MAGIC AND YOU WILL BE THERE WITHOUT BACKUP!”

Sans did not answer, instead he just shuffled away. The skeletons’ living room became quiet with the only sound being the mantelpiece clock. It struck twelve times. The midnight hour had returned. Now that that the threat of fighting was over, Toriel hummed to herself and wandered into the kitchen to make herself some tea. Papyrus was anxious and Sans really wanted to leave. Sans looked at the clock and thought about Grillby’s. Maybe if he hurried he could make it. Frisk went over to him and smiled softly, she understood exactly what he was feeling.

“Are ya up for some fun at Grillby’s, sweetheart?” Sans asked, flirtatiously. “I can play my trombone and we can get some fries and I can try them with ketchup. I still like mustard better but it’s no big deal. If ya want, ya can sing along with my playin’.”

Frisk smiled shyly at the skeleton. “That does sound like a good idea, but will it be okay for us to leave? Your brother is still giving you that unhappy glare.”

“Boss is always unhappy.” Sans said, smirking. “Even if he was doin’ something he enjoyed, he’d still find something to be irritated about. Nah, we’ll be fine. I think it’s about time we get better acquainted and I’d love to hear ya sing. I think we could make some sweet music together. That cloak of yours will keep those Monsters from knowing what’s what and only I would know how beautiful you are.”

Frisk blushed and Toriel, who must have overheard them, came out into the living room with a mug of tea in her hands. “Make sure that you are both home by dawn. We have a lot of planning to do and I want to make sure that we will be prepared.” She said, looking at the two in question.

Papyrus huffed in irritation. “SANS THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR DATING! IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE MONSTER AMBASSADOR, YOU NEED TO REMAIN FOCUSED. THIS IS IMPORTANT! I DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS RECKLESS BEHAVIOR AT ALL!”

Sans wasn’t listening. He quickly went to get his trombone from his room and Frisk ran to get the cloak that she had brought with her the night before. They both were giggling, rushing out the door with Papyrus still yelling at them. Once they were out of earshot, Sans and Frisk broke into peals of laughter. They only paused in their journey to take a breather. “Did ya see my brother’s face? Classic! I thought he was going to attack me in front of Toriel!”

“I feel kind of bad leaving like that.” Frisk admitted. “Even if he has a temper, I like Papyrus.”

Sans shrugged, “Boss means well but he can be a tad overprotective. He really needs to loosen up. After all…we’re Monsters! We were bone to be wild! I would almost feel sorry for him if I didn’t already know that he liked being a stick in the mud.”

Frisk chuckled, “That’s terrible! You’re lucky that your brother loves you so much.”

When the two arrived at Grillby’s, Frisk was wearing her cloak just like before. There was a growing crowd in front of the building and Monsters were talking to each other in hushed tones. Sans and Frisk slowly navigated the crowd and managed to see what was going on. Grillby was blocking the door and nailing a piece of paper to the door frame. It was only until he finished that the fire Monster allowed customers to come inside. Curious, Sans walked over and studied the paper. Panic welled up in his soul when he finally recognized it for what it was; a wanted sign. As decreed by Asgore, the four fugitives Sans, Papyrus, Toriel and Frisk were wanted for treason against Monster kind. 

The four sketches were badly drawn but it was them. The reward for proof of death was 300 gold each. Frisk made a surprised sound but Sans quickly shushed her. He scowled and took the young woman’s hand, deciding it was best to leave as quickly as possible. If any Monster spotted them, they would be more interested in gold then any passing friendship. Teleporting instantly, it was only until they were far enough away that Sans let out a frustrated growl.

“Damn!” He spat, “So much for our nice evening. Welp…It looks like we might have to change our plans sweetheart. Asgore’s onto us and he has a bone to pick.”


	9. Chapter 9

Monsters become very restless the moment the sun goes down. When the moon is high and the stars come out, the world is open to them once more. By midnight, crowds of Monsters were already walking the streets, going into shops and conversing with their friends. Grillby’s was a popular place and if enough wanted signs were posted around, sooner or later somebody was going to start looking for them. Asgore’s assassins were probably already sharpening their teeth at the prospect of earning 300 gold for one kill, 1,200 gold if they could kill all four offenders. Keeping to the shadows, Sans held onto Frisk’s hand and they hurried along as quickly as they could. 

When Greater Dog started sniffing around, Sans pulled Frisk into an alleyway and covered her with his body. They both stood very still, each holding their breath until the canine Monster moved along. Sans could feel Frisk’s heart beating faster against his rib cage. He gave her a reassuring hug, feeling her body relax against him. “That was a close one.” Sans murmured, “But we have to keep moving. The canines are already beginning to hunt.”

“I don’t understand.” Frisk said quietly, “Weren’t the assassins your friends? You were their leader! Shouldn’t the dog Monsters want to rally by your side and help protect you?”

Sans chuckled, glancing down at his Human girlfriend. “Heh…these so called friends would dust me in a second if they knew that I had a bounty on my skull. The canines are only loyal to Asgore and none of them really liked me. They think skeletons are beneath them and anyway, even if we were friends, it would not have mattered. If a Monster was offered enough gold, they would turn in their family members. Life is not all sunshine and nice creams. It’s a world where only the strongest survive.”

“I guess love does not matter much here.” Frisk said bitterly. “Only violence and greed win out.”

Sans shrugged, “In Ebott City, respect is given only to the wealthiest or the strongest Monsters. Boss wanted to prove himself by killing Humans but he doesn’t realize what it does to a person. Murder corrupts the soul, it changes you forever.” 

Frisk was silent, contemplating what was said. From the alleyway, the skeleton looked both ways to make sure the road ahead was clear. There were no Monsters in sight and the library was straight ahead. From there, he could rest and teleport them both home. His teleportation magic was limited to only a few hundred feet and that was when he was by himself. Taking along a passenger exhausted his magic even faster and Sans knew he didn’t have the stamina to teleport in rapid succession. Just leaving Grillby's as quickly as possible wore him out. Deciding to preserve his remaining energy, Sans focused on keeping them safe from attackers. Luckily, Frisk hadn't noticed his apparent exhaustion yet. 

Ebott City’s library was a dilapidated building with a misspelled sign. Occasionally a Monster would come and visit but mostly the only occupant was the grumpy old librarian. This was a good halfway point and home was not much farther. Suddenly, Sans noticed something in the corner of his eye socket. A canine Monster was looking around, sniffing the air with excitement. Panicking, Sans looked to the bushes and Frisk nodded. They jumped into the foliage, hoping the strong scented flowers would hide their location. From their movement, Doggo whirled around and narrowed his eyes. His teeth were bared and he stalked towards the library. He kept sniffing the air, walking in circles and growling under his breath. Sans was sweating, breathing heavily and trying to contain his panic. Doggo was the most determined canine assassin. Once he got the scent of prey, he never stopped looking for his targets. That was convenient when they were on the same side but now…not so much. 

“Don’t worry Sans.” Frisk whispered, “I think the dog is going away. We’re going to be okay.”

Sans didn’t answer, he just held Frisk close and hoped his magic levels would return soon. Suddenly, two paws forced the bushes apart and Doggo, despite his bad vision, had found them. Grinning maliciously, he held out his sharp knife and aimed it at the two of them. “Aww…isn’t this sweet!” Doggo taunted, “One final embrace until I kill you…and to think I almost avoided this place because it was so remote. Skeletons are the easiest to hunt, you always smell so tantalizing.”

Getting to his feet, Sans went to stand protectively in front of Frisk. His left eye glowed and he stared defiantly at their attacker. “If ya leave us alone, I won’t have to kill ya.” Sans threatened. “I am the fastest assassin that Asgore ever hired; do ya really want to try your luck with me? I’ve dusted Monsters much stronger then ya, so tell me…is the gold worth it?”

Doggo smirked, noticing that Sans was magically exhausted. He paused and surveyed his prey.

“When I told Asgore about your little plan with Toriel, I never realized how easy it would be to replace you.” He bragged, barking out a laugh. “The old man was furious that you were working with both a Human and his ex-wife. All I had to do was promise my loyalty and I would get to kill all four of you! I have heard rumors of your interest in the Human female and I really want to see your face when I stab her in front of you. Then after she dies, I’ll dust you Sans. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this! How I have dreamt about stabbing that confident smirk.” The canine’s knife glinted in the moonlight. 

Sans and Frisk backed away slowly until soon the bushes were no longer giving them any cover. “Run home, sweetheart!” Sans growled under his breath. “Go tell Papyrus and Toriel what happened. I will hold off this mangy mutt but I need to know that you are safe. Go! Run as fast as your legs can carry you!”

“I’m not leaving you!” Frisk said stubbornly, “If we run, we'll run together! If we die, we'll die together!”

Barking out more laughter, Doggo pounced towards them. The canine assassin was quick, pushing Sans aside, he aimed his knife towards Frisk's head. He slashed the weapon, cutting the skin on her cheek and sheering off some of her brown hair in the process. Frisk cried out in pain, her hand cupping her cheek as blood dripped down her face. When the skeleton saw the blood and heard her whimpering cries, something inside him snapped. In the blinding heat of rage, Sans attacked Doggo like never before. He was still tired but keeping Frisk safe was the only thing that mattered. He shot out multiple bone attacks, all of them sharply pointed and aimed at the canine. Some of the bones missed but not many. Doggo was starting to lose HP but Sans wasn't done yet. Summoning a large spear shaped femur, Sans hurled himself towards Doggo, intending to stab him in the chest. Feeling the thrill of victory, Sans smiled and Doggo closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable. 

"Stop!" Frisk shouted, causing both Monsters to look at her in surprise. 

“Sweetheart, I have to kill him!” Sans said between gritted teeth. “If I don’t turn him into dust, Doggo will only get reinforcements. He will become obsessed with hunting us. We will never be safe! Our family will never be safe as long as he is determined to kill us all for Asgore!”

“There has to be another way!” Frisk exclaimed. “Death can’t be the answer for everything.”

The skeleton looked at her in confusion. Frisk was practically beside herself with anxiety, she had blood all over her face but Frisk still wanted him to stop. 

Didn't she realize how much he wanted to make Doggo pay for hurting her? He wanted Doggo to suffer, to have him tortured until he was begging for death. Killing Doggo would be the easiest kill, even easier than the ones in the past. This wasn't some random hit, it was not even work related...it was personal. Sans really wanted to kill him but the skeleton knew that he couldn't. His girlfriend was too stubborn and she wouldn't forgive him if he killed their attacker. So in compromise, Sans stood up and summoned multiple blue bones, creating a cage around the stunned canine Monster. “I should kill ya now.” Sans told Doggo, “But I won’t. You’re lucky that my girlfriend is a better person then you will ever be. She wants to be a pacifist, can ya believe that? So I’m goin’ to keep ya locked up for the time being. If ya struggle, the blue magic will lower your HP gradually, so unless ya want to die I suggest you stay still.”

“You will always be a killer, Sans! You're just like me!” Doggo taunted, “Pacifists wouldn’t even defend themselves.”

Sans decided to ignore him. He tried to encourage Frisk to do the same but the young woman pushed past the skeleton and went up to the blue bone cage. She glared at Doggo with defiance, her hands on her hips. “What do you know about pacifism?” She countered. “You are a traitor, that’s what you are! Sans was your friend, he was your ally but you betrayed him. Don’t you have any remorse?”

Doggo gave her a condescending smile. “Sans was never my friend. He was just the Monster who stood in the way of my promotion. He was always Asgore’s favorite assassin! You have no idea how satisfying it is to see him fall from grace. I will get out of here eventually and when I do, you all will be killed! I promise you Sans! You and your little meat puppet are going to die this night!”

Sans glared at him angrily and forcibly pulled Frisk forward. Teleporting then away, he finally made it to the skeleton’s home and only then did he allow himself a breather. Frisk was still stunned by what Doggo did. The wound on her face was bleeding heavily but she didn’t really notice. Seeing a Monster act so aggressively towards them had made her realize just how much danger they were really in. She felt a twinge of fear and she touched her left cheek that was stained with blood.

“Don’t…don’t do somethin’…like that again!” Sans wheezed out. “Grillby’s is a good distance from home and Doggo could have killed us if he were a better fighter. Only a canine would bring a knife to a bone fight. Luckily, in my experience all canine assassins are stupid. That’s why Asgore likes turning them into his fighters.”

“I’m sorry.” Frisk said, after a moment. “I guess I forgot how bad things can be. Mother has always told me that it’s a kill or be killed world but…I guess I never believed her.”

Giving a big sigh, the skeleton hugged the young woman. “Hey, I get it. I wish things were different too. When a Monster is without hope, that Monster becomes bitter and violent. Maybe things were better before Asriel died but this is how life is now. If we do somehow manage to end the curfew and make peace with the Humans, I want to leave Ebott City for good. I want to find a peaceful place where I don't have to think about death and survival. I want to relax, sleep as long as I want and not kill anybody. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"It sounds wonderful." Frisk agreed. "I think I want to find this peaceful place too."

In all of the commotion, Toriel and Papyrus came out of the skeleton home. Seeing her daughter wounded, Toriel went into full mothering mode. She pulled Frisk into the house and started giving her something to eat. Food laced with magic healed Humans, even if it wasn't as quick as it was with Monsters. Sans followed them into the kitchen and started eating Papyrus' leftover spaghetti, slowly feeling his energy return. Papyrus was pacing back and forth, aggravated by their sudden unexpected appearance but he only waited until Sans and Frisk were comfortable. When enough time had passed, Papyrus began his questioning.

"WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID YOU COME HOME SO EARLY? WHY IS FRISK INJURED? WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE YOU BOTH CAME HOME FROM WAR? WHY DO YOU LOOK SO TIRED?"

"The moment we got to Grillby's, we had to leave." Sans explained patiently. "There were wanted signs everywhere. Teleportation takes a lot out of me and I didn't have time to rest. I could only make it halfway before I needed to recharge my batteries, so to speak. We are being hunted, Boss. There were assassins everywhere! Asgore has a bounty on all our heads and Doggo already tried to kill us today. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there were more monsters skull-king around our home. It looks really bad."

Papyrus frowned; he ignored the pun and glanced around. Their street seemed to be fairly empty; their neighbors had already headed into the downtown area. Feeling fully alert, Papyrus shut the blinds and locked the doors. “ALRIGHT, THEN WE SHALL PROCEED ACCORDING TO OUR PLAN, WE WILL JUST HAVE TO SPEED IT ALONG. AFTER YOU REST UP BROTHER, YOU AND FRISK ARE GOING TO CONFRONT THOSE HUMAN LEADERS.”

“Do you think now is the right time?” Sans protested. “Things are getting very tense.”

“SANS! WHY DO YOU CALL ME BOSS?” Papyrus demanded, folding his arms with impatience. “YOU HAVE CALLED ME BOSS, EVEN WHEN WE WERE BABY BONES!”

Sans shrugged, trying to think of a good enough reason. “Um…because you are taller?”

Papyrus gave an annoyed huff, “NO! IT’S BECAUSE I AM PREPARED! I MAKE PLANS, I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND I PROTECT OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS! I AM WELL AWARE THAT I HAVE MORE HP THEN YOU AND WHILE IT’S TRUE, YOU ARE STRONGER IN LV, THAT DOESN’T MEAN I WON’T DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO KEEP YOU SAFE. I PLAY ALONG WITH YOUR GAME BUT I AM NOT STUPID. DON’T THINK I DON’T NOTICE WHERE ALL OUR MONEY IS COMING FROM SANS!”

“Bro…I had no idea.” Sans said quietly, “So when ya mentioned the secret missions…ya knew that I also worked for Asgore? Why did ya act oblivious? Ya acted like being the leader’s assassin was the coolest thing ever! Ya bragged about Human hunting!”

“I WANTED TO SUPPORT YOU.” Papyrus said bluntly, “IF YOU KNEW THAT I DISAGREED WITH YOUR METHODS OF EARNING GOLD, YOU WOULD THINK THAT I WAS UNGRATEFUL. I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU SANS. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE HIGH LV WAS TAKING A TOLE ON YOUR SOUL BUT I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING. HOW COULD I? YOU DIDN’T WANT ME TO KNOW THAT YOU WERE AN ASSASSIN AND IF THAT MADE YOU SLEEP BETTER, THEN SO BE IT. AS FOR HUMAN HUNTING WITH UNDYNE, I STILL BELIEVE IN PROTECTING OUR FELLOW MONSTERS. HUMANS ARE THE ONES AT FAULT BUT LADY TORIEL HAS MADE A VALID POINT. IT IS TIME TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE. IT IS TIME THAT I PROTECTED YOU AND KEPT YOU AND FRISK SAFE IN RETURN.

Tears fell down Sans’ cheeks. “Ya really are the greatest. Thanks for understandin’.”

For the first time in a long time, the two skeleton brothers hugged. The last few years had been hard for them both and being honest with each other seemed to make their bond all the stronger. Toriel came into the room, looking at them fondly. Frisk was behind her, eating some magic laced pie, the large gash on her face had already faded into a thin red scar under her left eye. Watching the two skeletons embrace, Frisk felt determined to end this conflict once and for all.


	10. Chapter 10

“SANS, DO YOU REMEMBER THE ROUTE YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE?” Papyrus asked, bent over the map of Ebott City. 

The map was an old one but each building was carefully labeled. It showed who lived where and who owned what territory. Surrounding the entire map was a crudely drawn barbed wired fence that was supposed to represent the barrier. Four Human stations were set up in four corners and one of them was circled. Frisk had taken a black sharpie marker and added a few extra details, like the names of the four families in charge and how many Humans to expect. One Human station, the one closest to Toriel's home was circled heavily. This was their destination. Sans studied it and looked at Papyrus.

"Yeah, I know what to do." Sans sighed, “Ya made me go over it so often, I’m going to be dreamin’ about this damn map till I am ancient. The job is not hard. First we will teleport to the barrier's edge, located just beyond Toriel's house. Then upon our arrival, I will hide and wait while Frisk requests a meeting. If by some miracle the Humans give permission, she will help me through the barrier and I will talk to the Humans in charge. Somehow we will convince them that Monsters have changed and with any luck, the Humans will show mercy on us. Thus, ending the curfew and allowing us to leave the city. I still think this is a huge long shot...but Frisk is determined. I guess we have nothin' to lose really."

Papyrus nodded, his face stern. "THIS MAY BE A MISSION OF PEACE BUT OF COURSE THERE IS SOMETHING TO LOSE...YOU AND FRISK COULD BE KILLED! THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL. YOU WILL BE TRAVELING JUST BEFORE THE SUN IS BEGINNING TO RISE. THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU BOTH ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO THE HUMAN STATION WITHOUT AROUSING ANY SUSPICION. TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU MUST AVOID BEING SEEN AT ALL COSTS. ASGORE HAS OFFERED A LOT OF GOLD FOR YOU AND I WANT YOU TO BE CAUTIOUS. I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY LAZY OR RECKLESS BEHAVIOR! I WANT YOU BOTH TO RETURN HOME ALIVE AND UNHARMED!"

“Aww bro, have a little faith, will ya?” Sans teased, “I can be diligent and once we meet the Humans, I will show them how charming i can be. Tori has already given me a skele-ton of ideas on how to win the Humans over and if they are still prejudice, I'll just smile and not let them get under my skin. Tibia honest, I have been on missions tougher then this!"

"YOU ARE NERVOUS," Papyrus said dryly, "YOU ALWAYS PUN WHEN YOU ARE NERVOUS. OH! THAT REMINDS ME; DON'T ATTEMPT TO MAKE PUNS AROUND THE HUMANS! YOUR LACK OF DISTINGUISHED HUMOR IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY HUMAN WANT TO DUST YOU AND THAT'S THE LAST THING WE NEED RIGHT NOW! ALSO, PLEASE DON'T FLIRT WITH FRISK WHEN YOU ARE AROUND THE HUMANS. WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE HUMANS LIKE US AND THEY MIGHT NOT APPROVE OF A MONSTER DATING ONE OF THEIR OWN KIND. SHOW SOME SELF CONTROL SANS! BE POLITE, BE DILIGENT AND BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR."

Sans scowled at his brother, his cheekbones flushed in embarrassment. He tried to think of a good retort when Toriel and Frisk walked into the room. Lady Toriel looked at the two skeleton brothers, noticing right away the tension in the air. The goat Monster smiled awkwardly, "Oh dear, I hope we didn't come in at a bad time!"

Papyrus coughed and shook his head, "NOT AT ALL LADY TORIEL, WE'RE JUST GOING OVER SOME KEY INFORMATION. I THINK SANS UNDERSTANDS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE."

"Wonderful! I have prepared backpacks for you both to take." Toriel continued, showing off the bag's contents. "Inside I have packed plenty of magic infused food, blankets, a copy of the map in case you get lost and two sleeping bags. So whenever you're ready Sans, I think we have everything you could ever need. The hour before dawn is approaching!"

Sans nodded, "Thanks Tori."

He halfheartedly took the bag and went to stand next to Frisk. The young woman gave him a cheerful smile but Sans just looked to the ground. He wasn't angry per say but part him agreed with Papyrus and he didn't like agreeing with his brother. Frisk noticed and her smile turned into a worried frown. "Are you okay?" She asked softly, "Did Papyrus say something? I wouldn't worry too much. We will be fine as long as we are together and if worse comes to worse, we can always teleport away if the Humans decide to attack us."

Looking at the young woman, Sans gave her a halfhearted grin. "Yeah, of course we'll be fine."

Glancing at his brother, San's voice was brisk. "Please be careful too, Boss. I know that ya mentioned that Undyne and Doctor Alphys would be willing to help our cause but don't forget...Undyne is still Asgore's right hand Monster. She could be trying to trick ya with talks of friendships. I know she's always been a loyal pal but that was before 300 gold was offered for ya dust. Don't be overconfident bro, be cautious. I want you to be on your best behavior too."

The exchange was slightly tense but Toriel quickly diffused the tension by ushering them out the door. "Papyrus will be fine! I'll be with him the entire time! Just because I haven't fought in almost two centuries, it doesn't mean my Boss Monster magic is to be underestimated!"

Giving a sigh, Sans turned to go. Frisk held out her hand and she squeezed his phalanges reassuringly. Coming all the way from the skeleton home, they both had a long way to go but this time, Sans was prepared. Mapping out all the designated safe spots with Papyrus, he knew all the locations where they were less likely to be spotted. Sans only stopped to rest twice and soon they were a little past Toriel's home. This was not far from where Frisk had crossed the barrier over nine years ago. Now that Sans knew about the barrier, he finally understood what Frisk meant. Having lived in the downtown area all his life, Sans never noticed the obstacle that kept him trapped. The barrier was hardly noticeable in the darkness but it reached about five feet in height and stretched out as far as the eye socket could see. From what Frisk said, it was impossible to use magic against it and if a Monster touched it, that Monster would rapidly lose HP. There was no way to cross it without a Human's help.

Now that they made it to the last safe spot, Sans dreaded the next step. Now, he was going to have to wait for Frisk to cross the barrier and to meet with the Humans on the other side. She was going alone and so many things could go wrong. Frisk could be captured...or worse and there was nothing he could do about it. Anxiously, Sans ate some of the food from his backpack. The hot dog helped restore his magical energy but it did little to quell the growing feeling of worry. He bared his fangs and stared at the barrier as if willing it to disappear. Frisk didn't look too happy herself. Her hands were shaking as she fished through her own backpack. Pulling out a gold locket necklace, Frisk clasped it around her neck. It was beautiful and Sans couldn't help but be curious of it. He reached out a hand and touched the smooth shiny surface. It looked oddly familiar.

"This necklace is a family heirloom." Frisk began slowly. The young woman hesitated, unsure of how to begin or what to say. "The reason why I chose this checkpoint...the reason why this is so important...well...this is my family's checkpoint. I had been a little girl when I ran away and my parents probably assumed I was killed. When I go to their home, they probably won't recognize me but they will recognize this locket. It belonged to Chara and when she died, the locket was given to her older sister Rosaline. Rosaline was my great grandmother and as a tradition in our family, the locket is passed down to the oldest child. It was given to my grandma, my father and then eventually...it was given to me. So I am the direct decedent of the Humans that took away the Monsters' freedom."

Tears fell down Frisk's face. She looked down, ashamed by what had happened in the past. Being connected to the family that had caused a whole species to be trapped had obviously taken a toll on her. Sans looked from the locket and glanced deep into Frisk's blue eyes. The tragedy and guilt was enough to hurt his soul. Pulling her closer, Sans wrapped his arms around her for the longest times. Her tears stopped falling and she relaxed into his warm embrace.

“I’m sorry.” Frisk whispered. “It's just...when I first ran away, I did it because I hated fighting. I just wanted to be myself and I wanted to sing. It was a selfish motive that made me run away but then it led me to meet the very Monsters that were trapped by my family. I have to make things right between our species. It has been bothering me for a long time. Spending most of my years with Toriel, I heard stories about her past and the tragedy that befell Asriel. You must think I'm pathetic but since I am related to the ones that caused his death, I feel like I have to make things right. Now that you know my heritage, you probably want nothing more to do with me."

“I could never think that.” The skeleton replied, "I love ya Frisk. Despite what the Humans think...despite what Papyrus thinks, I love ya with all my soul. I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if I didn't love ya. Come what may, we are in this together." Frisk looked up at him and Sans bent his head down to kiss her. 

Unlike the little butterfly kiss from last night, this kiss became heated as Frisk returned it with equal enthusiasm. His bony mouth nipped at her lips playfully and his long ecto-tongue rubbed teasingly against her own. Sans growled whenever she took a breath for air and he pulled her back as Frisk giggled a little. He spent a lot of time kissing the thin scar under her left eye where Doggo had attacked her. Then he ran his tongue along the side of her neck, causing the young woman to shiver at the contact. She moaned softly when his hands crept up mischievously under her shirt and caressed her skin. He was so gentle and in the warmth of the early summer morning, Frisk wanted to give in to this growing lust that was heating up between them. She kissed him and he was leaning into her, pushing her down until they were both lying on the grass. It took all her will power to move away from the Monster. Sans paused and looked at her questioningly.

“I want to…” Frisk said, breathing heavily. “I really want to but now is not the time. We could be seen and I have to confront my past. I have to deal with my parents and set things right. When I go to them, I don’t know what will happen. They might not believe me but I have to try.”

Sans gave a long sigh. “I know sweetheart. I guess in some selfish, messed up way I hoped to distract ya long enough so that ya never go to the house. I can’t be there with ya and while I know why I have to wait, it doesn’t mean that I have to like it.”

“It won’t be forever.” Frisk reassured him. “As soon as my parents are willing to listen, I can let you through the barrier to meet them. We are the best representatives for the job and at this point, we have to stay determined...but it's also important to be brave, patient and kind. Remember, the Humans who guard the barrier haven't even considered the ramifications of their actions. They don't realize that Monsters are not all bad. They are just following in the footsteps of their ancestors."

“I know!” Sans growled, “Just go already! The more ya talk the more I want ya here.”

Frisk giggled at that. Taking a deep breath, she pulled up the barrier and crawled under it. Humans didn't lose HP like the way Monsters did but the barrier was still very heavy. The thickly woven, magic infused metal fence was easier to go under when she was a ten year old but now that she was taller, it was a lot harder to maneuver to the other side. It took a long time but the moment she was free, Frisk realized that she was outside the confines of Ebott City, the first in almost a decade. It was a strange feeling being here and Frisk could not help but look behind her. Despite knowing that he was still there, Frisk couldn't see Sans. It gave her a lonely feeling but the young woman pressed on.

Resting under a tree, Frisk noticed the sun was coming up. Just like Papyrus said, this would be the best option. This would be just before her parents started their daily patrols around the barrier. First they would search for any rips or tears, ensuring that the magic was still in place. Then they would use a special entrance known only to a handful of Humans. They would go into Ebott City and look for any Monsters breaking the curfew law. It was what they did when she was young and even after all this time, Frisk was sure they would be doing the same thing today. For some reason, her family was obsessed with keeping the Mayor's rule. They were always so determined to honor their heritage.

Her old home seemed the same as it always was, but there were a few things different. The flower garden that had held buttercups, roses and daffodils was gone. Instead there were a few half dead bushes planted near the front of the house. There was a sense of something bitter and Frisk could sense it lingering around the property. Taking a deep breath, Frisk walked up to the front door and knocked firmly. She waited a few more seconds and then knocked again.

There was the sound of feet rushing across the floor and the door opened. A little boy, maybe about seven looked at her. Frisk stared at the child, she was not expecting this. Dressed in striped pajamas, he had messy brown hair and big blue eyes that looked awfully similar to hers. Giving a yawn, the little boy studied her in confusion. He might have just woken up but it was obvious that he was noticing that there were some similarities too. 

Finally, he spoke. “Hi, my name is Chara. Who are you?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks! In this chapter we get to see more of Frisk's background and meet her family for the first time! In case you're wondering, I'm treating the name "Chara" as gender neutral. I thought it would tie nicely to the beginning.

Standing in the doorway, Frisk could not help but stare at this little boy named Chara. He resembled her so much, it felt as if she were looking into the past. Memories began returning and the young woman remembered when she too was a novice Monster hunter, destined to follow in her parents' footsteps. The boy was even wearing the traditional stripes of her clan, giving her a sense of déjà vu. Frisk was speechless but Chara was getting impatient.

“Lady, are you okay? You are acting really weird!”

Brought out of her stupor, Frisk smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry about that! It's just...well I'm your older sister. My name is Frisk. You've never met me but I used to live here long ago. I have returned for a visit. I've always wanted a little sibling, so it's nice to finally meet you Chara."

"I don't have an older sister." Chara accused, "You're lying!"

"Hush Chara! That's enough!" A woman's voice said, coming to the doorway. The mother cuffed her little boy, pushing him aside as she came forward. Chara scowled, leaving the room and retreating back into the dark house. Frisk studied the Human woman in front of her and felt strong mixed emotions; fear, love and anxiety all at once. Myra was a stern woman in her forties, strict and unyielding. She was dressed in a clean cut uniform, her brown hair was pulled back into a bun and she seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face. As Myra gazed at Frisk, there was no recognition in the older woman's eyes and Frisk felt foolish for being there. It had been many years but time had changed her too much.

"I apologize for my son's rudeness." Myra began, indifferent to Frisk's silence. "I have been trying to teach Chara that children are to be seen and not heard. He's a difficult child, not particularly bright but obedient when it matters. Anyway, what can I do for you stranger? It's dawn and we are busy in the morning. Speak now before my patience wears out."

"Mother, don't you recognize me?" The young woman stuttered out. "I'm Frisk, your daughter. Nine years ago I ran away from home and well...I have returned."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Myra demanded "My daughter is dead and you come here bearing her name and telling me that she ran away? I don't know who you think you are but I won't have you lying to me or my son. I overheard what you told Chara and I don't appreciate it."

Sighing in resignation, Frisk took off the gold locket that had been hanging from her neck. Handing it to her birth mother, Myra received it with stunned silence. She inspected it carefully and gasped when she saw the family crest on the back of the locket. "My father gave me this necklace on my tenth birthday." Frisk explained patiently. "He told me that long ago it had belonged to the original Chara and that when she died, it was then given to her older sister, my great grandmother Rosaline in remembrance of what happened. I was wearing this locket when I ran away and I have kept it ever since. You probably don't believe me but it's the truth. I really am the daughter that you lost all those years ago."

“I thought this heirloom was gone forever.” Myra murmured. “To think, after all these years…it’s been with you the whole time. You gave up everything but you still kept our family’s oldest treasure." Looking at the locket one last time, Myra handed the locket back and studied Frisk, as if seeing her for the very first time. For a moment, Frisk thought her Human mother was relieved. The older woman was looking at her with such emotion; Frisk didn't understand how suddenly that relieved look turned into one of anger. With a loud slap, Myra smacked Frisk across the face, causing the younger woman to stumble back in order to keep from falling over. Tears threatened to fall but Frisk did her best to stay calm. her Human mother was shaking with untapped aggression, she looked downright furious. “You…miserable child…how dare you?”

Myra was ready to hit Frisk again but the young woman backed away. "How dare you!" The older woman repeated. "You should have stayed dead! We mourned you! I thought for sure one of those disgusting Monsters killed you! I already knew that you ran off to Ebott City but when we couldn't find you, I expected the worst. Do you know how long we searched? We searched the entire day and every day for a month! Your father was positively heartbroken! You were our only heir, you were to carry the family name and continue the honor of protecting Humans from the likes of Monsters!" Feeling a strong sense of guilt, Frisk kept her eyes to the ground and suddenly felt like a small child again while Myra insulted and berated her. The helpless feeling was returning...Frisk hated feeling this way. This was why she had left; this was why she had wanted to run away. Her birth mother believed that Frisk was more valuable as an heir then as a daughter and that realization still hurt. She was nothing more than the continuation of a bloodline.

Toriel might have been a Monster but she always loved and respected her. If they were fighting, Toriel would listen calmly and try to use reason in her arguments. No matter how bad things were, Frisk knew that Toriel cared about her hopes and supported her dreams. Myra just wanted to control her. In the end, Toriel was her true mother and Frisk felt her determination returning. This wasn't the time to let old wounds get in the way of freeing Ebott City's Monster population.

“I’m sorry I caused you so much pain.” Frisk said, trying to keep her emotions in check. "But I just couldn't stay here, gaining EXP while you taught me to fight and kill Monsters in cold blood. I'm a pacifist and if I stayed, I would have only let you down. You want me to be the heir but what's the point? It's been 200 years since the war began. A lot of younger Monsters don't even know what Humans look like. I'm here to help free them. Monsters should be allowed in the daytime. Monsters should have the ability to leave the city if they so desire. It's been such a long time, aren't you tired? I want this feud between the Monsters and Humans to end."

“So...that’s why you came back” Myra said scornfully. “You didn’t care about me or your brother. All you want to do is free the Monsters and end the feud. Stupid child! Don’t you know those creatures are dangerous! That horrible beast Asgore has threatened to kill any Human that enters into the night! His son Asriel killed your great, great aunt! Monsters don’t deserve our mercy!”

Frisk tried to keep composure. “Not every Monster is the same! If you could just listen to one, you would see they are not much different than a Human. Both sides lost a child that day; we weren’t the only ones that suffered a terrible loss. I suggest we meet with the three other families and discuss an end to this war. It’s time we put the past behind us.”

When Myra was silent for a moment, Frisk felt hope. Maybe she had gotten through to the older woman. However, the look on the older woman’s face betrayed her silence. 

“If your father was still alive, he would be so ashamed of you. Now get out of my way Frisk! I still have a duty to Humanity. You might have given up your honored position in favor of…pacifism but that does not mean that I will not carry out our duties in your father’s stead. My son Chara will be the new heir and I intend to train him and make him stronger then you ever could be.” With that, she pushed Frisk aside and promptly started retrieving her weapons. 

There was an old trunk near the doorway. Once Myra removed the padlock, the trunk opened up to display a wide range of weapons all neatly packed away. There were arrows, crossbows, guns and knives of every shape and size imaginable. The older woman was an expert, having been trained for battle alongside her husband when they were young. Myra sheathed a dagger to her hip and held a gun out to inspect it. Blowing on the metal surface, she checked to see if it was still loaded before putting it in the holster on the other side of her body. She was like a machine, oiled and well maintained.

“What happened?” Frisk asked, the words coming out horse. She balled up her fists and tried not to let the pain overtake her. “What happened to my father?”

“What do you mean, what happened?” Myra repeated, “It’s like I said. He died.”

“But how? When did this happen?” Frisk insisted, trying to keep Myra from walking away.

The older woman gave a long sigh, staring at the stranger who was her daughter. “Five years ago, your father died of cancer. It happened so quickly and so aggressively, we barely had time to process it. Apparently the cancer had been there for years but your father didn’t mention any symptoms until it was too late. He was stubborn…just like you and he ignored his pain. Chara was only two years old and I was overwhelmed, dealing with a dying husband and a needy toddler. Not only that, I had to continue the family legacy by myself! If you were here, I could have had help. If you were here, you could have met your younger brother and been there for your father. As your father lay dying, the only solace he had was the belief that he would join you in the afterlife. Now it just turns out you were selfish and turned your back on your family.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt everyone.” Frisk protested, “It’s just…if I had known…”

“Your pitiful excuses mean nothing to me!” Myra spat, “You wanted to leave…so leave!”

There was an awkward silence as Frisk looked helplessly at the bitter woman. This was not the reunion she had expected. Her Human mother was shaken too, though Myra tried not to show it. The older woman was cursing under her breath, inspecting her weapons again and occasionally shooting a glance a Frisk, half expecting her to leave. Suddenly a man's voice rang out. “Myra! Are you ready to go? You are running late and you are usually the first person out the door to begin patrols! Who’s this? Is this young lady a new recruit? I don’t recall seeing somebody new here.”

The three other households were gathered in front of the house; roughly about twelve people were wielding some sort of weapon. Guns were the most popular but there was a woman who carried a crossbow. Frisk felt a brief bit of nostalgia when she recognized a few faces. Her mother, Myra was not in the best mood and glared at the leader of the Human group. It was the man who spoke and if Frisk could remember right, his name was Anthony Logan; he had been kind to her as a child.

“This...young lady doesn’t concern you.” Myra said spitefully, “It seems my prodigal daughter had returned. Did she come to visit her family? No, my daughter came because she wants to unite us in peace with the Monsters in Ebott City! Can you believe this? I have already told her to leave....she's not welcome here. She's a traitor to her own people!"

A commotion rose up from the crowd as the Humans looked at one another. This was unprecedented, not only had Frisk returned but she wanted to talk peace? Anthony stepped forward and studied the younger woman and for a moment he frowned. Then all of a sudden, he embraced her and gave a cheery laugh. The other Humans crowded around her and they patted her on the back or cheered happily. “Where have you been?” a man asked. “Are you okay?”

Adele Logan, Anthony’s wife, studied Frisk and nodded her approval. “Welcome home, my dear. I am glad to see you unharmed."

Frisk smiled shyly, hope returning in her soul. Just as the Monsters had been patrolling in the night for Humans, so too the Humans had been patrolling in the day for Monsters. This had been the tradition, going back many generations but there was no anger. Only Myra, Frisk's birth mother was angry. She was frustrated that Frisk was being treated so warmly and no matter how much she yelled, most were ignoring her completely. Finally, Anthony looked at Myra with exhaustion. “Okay…we get it. You’re upset but maybe Frisk is on to something. You say that she wants to propose a truce, well I don’t see the harm in listening.”

“We can’t make peace with those creatures.” Myra insisted stubbornly, “They don’t deserve our mercy. They are too stupid and too beastly to understand things beyond kill or be killed. I’m surprised there are still a few Humans willing to live in Ebott City at all. It has become a breeding ground for those demons and Frisk expects us to make nice? She’s just a naïve fool!”

“You don’t know them!” Frisk protested, growing angry. “I was raised by a Monster, I am friends with Monsters! In fact, the whole point of me coming here was to show you all that Monsters can be civil. I brought a skeleton Monster with me today! He's here as a Monster ambassador."

Anthony Logan exchanged a look with his wife. The rest of the three families were surprised too, talking among themselves and exchanging looks. Myra however, was growing red in the face. Her voice became tense. "What do you mean you brought a Monster here? In the daylight?"

“Well…not here but on the other side of the barrier." Frisk explained, "I have known Sans for a while now and he's a good Monster. He has agreed to discuss the terms of a truce."

Anthony Logan finally stepped forward. "Well, I don't see why we can't go out and talk to this Monster. Daylight or not, if he's only here to discuss peace, I say we should listen to him. Things need to change around here and I agree, this is a good step forward in the right direction. All those in favor, raise your hand."

Everyone except Myra, raised their hand. Frisk's Human mother scowled but knew she was beaten. Deciding to open the door in the barrier, Adele Logan walked up to the magic barrier and pushed a button that was hidden among the sharp spikes. With a loud swooshing noise, the barrier separated instantly, pulling back until it formed a doorway. On the other side was Sans the skeleton. He had been sleeping in the grass nearby, his black jacket and red shirt standing out among all the plant life. When the barrier opened up, Sans awakened with a start. He stared around in confusion until his eye sockets landed on Frisk. The young woman ran up to him, knowing full well that Myra could attack him.

“So…what did I miss?” Sans asked groggily. “Is it time yet?”


	12. Chapter 12

There was a long, awkward silence when Sans noticed the crowd of Humans staring at him. His eye sockets were still adjusting to the bright light of dawn and being the first Monster in over two centuries to step foot in the daytime, he couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. He gave his onlookers a friendly smile but when they saw the skeleton’s sharply pointed teeth, most of the Humans backed away nervously. Myra frowned, her hand already on her dagger but Frisk stood in front of Sans protectively. She stared defiantly at her birth mother and for a moment, no one moved. 

Then, as if summoning his courage, Anthony Logan stepped forward. He offered his hand to Sans and smiled in return. “Hello friend, you seem a little bonely out here.” 

Sans stared at this new Human, unable to believe what he just heard...then he started laughing hysterically. "Heh, that's a good pun! I'm impressed!" He said between chortles, "Though tibia honest, it's rare to find someone equally humerus. Me, I like to tell a few rib ticklers on occasion. Nothin' like usin' the old funny bone, eh?"

Adele Logan, Anthony’s wife, rolled her eyes but there were a few people in the crowd that chuckled at the puns. The tension was finally broken. Anthony shook Sans' hand and they studied each other curiously. "You're actually the first Monster that I've met, so it's very nice to meet you." The Human leader confided. "Frisk told us that you are a Monster representative and that you are interested in promoting peace? Well, you have nothing to fear my friend. As long as you are here to simply talk, I will make sure that no one harms you. Daytime or not, I would like to consider myself a fair man. Besides, the curfew law is only valid in Ebott City and even still, there's always an exception to a rule."

"Well, I've never met a Human before," Sans said, smirking "Other than Frisk of course! The name is Sans, Sans the skeleton. Thanks for ya know...not killin' me and everything. I came here today because I was hoping that we could find a way to end this curfew and maybe...hopefully get rid of the barrier too? It's just a thought."

"I'm listening." Anthony told him. "But aren't Monsters happy in Ebott City? As long as you keep to the night, Monsters are safer in Ebott City then they are in other parts of the world. I have heard horror stories where in some towns; Monsters are discriminated against and abused 24/7. Humans hunt them for sport. With the curfew, the Humans and Monsters are separate...but they are equally safe with the magic barrier. Our history tells us that Humans and Monsters will inevitably fight. That's why we uphold the law."

"How could Monsters be happy? We are trapped forever and kept without sunlight!" Sans argued. "Life in Ebott City is not all nice creams and daydreams. We are imprisoned with a leader who is determined to start up the war with Humanity. Asgore's got this crazy plan. He thinks that if he kills off enough Monsters and puts the blame on Humans, the angry surviving Monsters will be loyal to his cause. Asgore hires assassins. He takes advantage of Monsters who are stupid or who are desperate for gold. His son Asriel died and it was tragic, but he uses that as an excuse for his cruel behavior. He is convinced that the ends will justify the means. That's what he told me over and over. That as long as we do what we are doing, Monsters will unite in this fight and win the war for their freedom. Any Monster who disagrees with Asgore, is likely to be an assassin's next target. I know I was."

Anthony nodded; his expression grim. "I do see your point. Asgore has always been a problem. While it's true, that the mayor was impulsive for killing Asriel without a trial, the violent rage that Asgore expressed at the Monsters' punishment was intimidating. I think the barrier was put into place because the mayor was afraid that Asgore would kill them all in revenge. Monsters live for such a long time; I can't believe that he's still alive. What about you...Sans...was it? Were you alive when the curfew was put into place? I would like to hear your point of view of the situation. You don't look old but with Monsters, it's really hard to tell. It's not like a skeleton Monster would develop white hair and wrinkles."

"I'm hardly an old Monster." Sans said, wryly. "Believe it or not, there are very few Monsters old enough to remember the time before the curfew. There are even fewer that know what happened to cause the problem. I think my father, Wingding Gaster was alive but he was just a little kid. I'm 26 years old, so I'm a little past...what do ya Humans call it...an adolescent. Yeah, I just became an adult last year....though tibia honest, it feels a lot longer. See, my folks died when my little brother was a baby bones so I've had to work odd jobs to pay the rent in the house we're livin' in. Our life has been hard. Half the time I'm lucky to put food on the table. Unfortunately, Asgore took full advantage of my bad situation. He sure knew how to manipulate a desperate soul..."

Anthony waited for him to elaborate but Sans just looked at Frisk. The young woman smiled at him proudly, her expression full of love.

"So...how did you meet Frisk?" Adele Logan asked, deciding to change the subject. "You both seem very close. I guess it makes sense that Frisk wants to free the Monsters because she lived with one for nine years but she didn't grow up with you...did she? Are you two friends? I see how protective she is around you."

Sans smirked, "Oh yeah, we are real close. Ya could even say that Frisk is my girlfriend! We met at a bar/nightclub called Grillby's. One of my odd jobs was performin' in front of a crowd of Monsters every other night. I was playin' my trombone and she had been stalkin' me, wanting to get to know me better. Of course I couldn't help but be taken by this pretty sweetheart, the one person who was watchin' me play with such rapt attention. She was tryin' to be all sneaky like but I could tell she was into me."

Frisk was blushing now, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment. Myra, Frisk’s Human mother made a strangled sound but most of the other Humans ignored her. A young man, one that Frisk didn't recognize came forward. He looked to be in his early twenties and he was still holding a rifle in his hand. "Okay, I'm really confused. I thought all the Monsters in Ebott City hated Humans. Why would a Monster date a Human? Aren't you two mortal enemies? If you two met at Grillby's in the middle of the night, you must have noticed that she wasn't a Monster. Why didn't you kill her on sight? A Human kills a Monster if they step out in the daylight and a Monster kills a Human if they step out at night."

"It's not that complicated Ronaldo!" A young woman, obviously his sister, said impatiently. "They fell in love! I think it's romantic. It's like a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet!"

Sans frowned, confused by the reference. "Well...believe it or not, a lot of Monsters have never seen a Human before. Our guardsmen make sure that all Monsters abide by the curfew and we are always inside during the day. While we are safely hidden, we grow up learning that Humans are the enemy. The newspapers stir up tensions and ya keep us trapped in our own city. Not to mention, ya threaten to dust us if we step out in the sunlight. That doesn't make ya friends but hey, we can stop this fightin' at any time. I say we should all stop the hatred and let bygones be bygones. Frisk and I want to make things better but both sides need to come together. Ya would be surprised what a little kindness can do. So all I ask, is that you give us a chance. Let us have a chance to make peace."

“If Monsters weren't trapped, you wouldn't want peace." Myra said, her eyes narrowing. "The moment we lower our guard, you and your Monster friends will probably stab us in the back. I don't trust you and if these people have any sense, they will dust you for daring to come here. In fact, after that speech you gave I am tempted to kill you right this second."

“That’s enough Myra!” Anthony roared, “While Sans is here, he’s under my full protection.”

Frisk's birth mother glared at Anthony. “I can’t believe you are falling for this load of crap. Cousin, you are betraying your own kind! Our ancestors made this barrier to keep the Monsters in and you are considering letting them through because they are pretending to want peace and unity? Well I won't be tricked! I will raise my son and he will learn to hate all Monsters...not like that foolish Frisk. Honestly, I knew Frisk was a stupid girl but being that...that Monster's lover? I never felt such shame! Chara will never grow to be like her!"

Myra looked at her daughter with contempt before finally, going back to her home in silence. Sans frowned, fully confused at what just happened. “Um…Was it something I said?”

Frisk sighed, embarrassed by what just happened. “No, this has nothing to do with you Sans. You were wonderful. That woman was my birth mother and well…Myra has a lot of anger issues. Even when I was a little kid, she was a bigot and she had a temper. If I didn’t do exactly as she wanted, I was punished. I had to be her perfect little Monster killing soldier and I just couldn’t take it, so I ran away. Now that I’ve returned, I realize that I now have a little brother named Chara who is suffering from the same abuse I had, if not worse. Nobody deserves to have a mother like that. I’m lucky that I spent so much time with Toriel. It was only until I met my real mother that I learned what love is supposed to feel like. She’s just not worth it but I can’t help but feel sad.”

“Heh…and I thought my family was crazy.” Sans said, giving a comforting smile. “Ya should have met my folks before they died; my dad was a Human hunting fanatic! Papyrus really looked up to him...so I guess that's part of where his enthusiasm came from. It's a shame my dad never met you, I bet you would have changed the old man's opinion.”

Frisk smiled, “I guess we really are like Romeo and Juliet.” She murmured quietly to herself.

Sans turned towards the Humans and looked hopefully at Anthony. “So about this truce between our species…would ya be willin’ to meet with Toriel? Not only is she the Monster who adopted Frisk but she is also the leader of the rebellion against Asgore. She's the one who wants to bring peace to Monster kind. Tori is really nice. She's a good cook and I think that it would be a good idea to come to terms with her. We’d also be willin’ to compromise of course, but all we want is freedom.”

Another man, about Anthony's age, looked uneasy. He turned to his leader and asked, "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"I don't see the harm in meet with Toriel. If she is truly is a good soul, an alliance could be useful." Anthony mused, "Just think, if we make peace with the Monsters, we won't have to patrol the barrier anymore. We can go on with our lives. I don't like dusting Monsters and I don't want my children to follow in my footsteps. Wouldn't you like a fresh start?" Finally, he turned to Sans. "If you, Frisk and Toriel can agree to terms with myself and the rest of the Human leaders, I think we should start making arrangements to meet up and discuss making a peace treaty. We can end this feud for good."

Sans grinned, “That sounds like a bonefied idea to me. Let’s shake on it pal.”

The leader of the Humans and the skeleton shook hands and the crowd cheered. An older man looked at Sans curiously. He could hear a ringing sound coming from inside the backpack that Sans was wearing. “Um…Mr. Skeleton… sir…your phone is going off. Perhaps it is important?”

Sans reached in his bag and sure enough it was ringing. Frowning, he noticed the name on the caller id and flipped open the cellphone. “Hello, this is Sans. Uh huh…yes…Frisk is with me…Tori please calm down…what happened? Asgore? What about Asgore? Oh…I see…this is serious. Hmm…well…I’ll let everyone know. Thanks for telling me…Bye.”

Frisk was practically bursting with curiosity. “What’s wrong? What did Toriel say?”

Looking at all the Humans around him, Sans gave them all a shaken look. “Some random Monster staged a coup. Asgore…the leader of the Monsters…he’s dead. He was dusted by an assassin who had been hiding in the shadows. Toriel didn’t get a good look to see who that Monster was but she described hearing an evil laugh, which cackled right after Asgore turned to dust. Toriel was crying on the phone. She had fought Asgore and was about to grant him mercy but it was too late. He never had a chance for redemption. The assassin looked at her and disappeared so suddenly.”

“I can’t believe this!” Frisk muttered, “We were so close! My poor mother, I hope she is okay.”

“It gets weirder.” Sans said, “Toriel also claimed the assassin looked like a flower.”


	13. Chapter 13

When Frisk and Sans left to see the Humans, Toriel and Papyrus set out towards the biggest house in the center of Ebott City. This was where Asgore lived. Night was starting to fade into dawn; the sky had a soft pink glow to it and there was a hushed silence as the Monster citizens returned to their homes for their daily rest. Both Toriel and Papyrus knew this was dangerous. Only a fool would approach their enemy after sunrise, violating the curfew law in the process but this was the best option. Every guard would be out in the city, using the last hour of darkness to ensure that every Monster was safe from the Humans. Nobody was expecting them to come.

The front of the mansion was deserted and the only sound was the morning chorus of birdsong.

Papyrus couldn’t stop staring at Asgore’s mansion. It was the most impressive building he had ever seen! It was three times larger than his home and twice as fancy. Just walking up along the driveway, he saw beautiful flower gardens grace the pathway. A golden fountain was in the center and there were roses all around in a multitude of color. Some trees were planted nearby and on the edge of the lawn, a small waterfall cascaded down into a decorative pool of koi fish.

Toriel was not impressed. She didn’t care about all the fancy landscaping. It meant nothing to her but a very long walk up the already long driveway. She was growing more annoyed by the minute, grumbling and complaining under her breath. Finally, she paused and stared at the sidewalk under the front door. The texture of the cement was different looking but oddly familiar. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Papyrus, don’t go any further.” Toriel warned. “I found a trap and if my memory is correct, we need to press a deactivation switch before we can continue inside.”

“WHAT WAS THAT?” Papyrus asked, distracted. He was looking up at the towering mansion, wondering how high it went. “DID YOU SAY SOMETHING IMPORTANT LADY TORIEL?”

“I found a trap! We must stop here so I can deactivate it.” Toriel repeated but it was too late. 

Papyrus stepped on the button, the ground gave way under him and with a startled yell he tumbled down into the hole full of spikes. By some stroke of luck, he didn’t lose any HP in his fall. The tall skeleton had managed to grab hold of the edge and was looking quite embarrassed when Toriel offered her hand to help him back up. The moment he was on solid ground again, Papyrus looked gratefully at the older Monster. “WHEW! THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE! THANK YOU LADY TORIEL!”

Toriel smiled softly, “I am glad that you are unharmed. Just please be more careful next time.”

“NORMALLY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM MORE OBSERVANT BUT THIS PLACE IS BREATHTAKING. DID YOU REALLY LIVE HERE?” Papyrus wondered, “WHAT A MAGNIFICENT HOME. I AM SO ENVIOUS. I WANT MY HOME TO LOOK LIKE THIS!”

The goat Monster looked sadly at Papyrus. She put her hand on the door and sighed wistfully. “Homes are not buildings. Homes are made up of the people you love and the memories you share together. When my son died, this place only reminded me of him and I felt depressed. Then Asgore became violent towards Monsters and Humans alike, taking out his anger on anyone who stood in his way. This mansion has not been my home for a long time. My old life is long gone.”

Pushing open the doors, they magically responded to Toriel’s touch. Contemplating on what the goat Monster said, Papyrus noticed that she was right. The elegance of the rooms did little to get rid of the creepy factor that seemed to hang over the house. Every room was dark and it seemed like no one was home. Despite it being early in the morning, a home would usually have at least one Monster awake. Sometimes there would be a fire burning in the fireplace, a meal being shared or the sound of laughter. In Asgore’s mansion, there was nothing but dust and the sound of their footsteps echoing on the tile floors. Their passing forms made long shadows on the walls.

Toriel seemed to know where she was going. They walked past the living room, the kitchen and the dining room but there was nobody around. Suddenly there was movement coming from behind them. A long blue arrow shot forward, narrowly missing them and landing with a thud on the wall in front of them. Toriel turned around, her fire magic already burning in her hand but Papyrus stopped her, shouting “UNDYNE! IT’S ME! DON’T SHOOT! I’M YOUR FRIEND!”

“What the hell, Papyrus! What are you doing here?" Undyne demanded, scowling as she held a second spear. When she saw Toriel, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And why are you with Toriel? Do you have a death wish! You are both wanted fugitives! I don't know if you're being really stupid or really brave walking into Asgore's home. As his right hand Monster, it is my duty to kill you for trespassing! Asgore is really strict about that and he's going to punish me if I refuse. Ugh...but I really don't want to kill you. Papyrus, why couldn't you have just stayed home? At least you are safe there! Do you know how many Monsters want that reward money?"

“If you attack us, I won’t hold back.” Toriel said icily, daring the fish Monster to move. “Now Undyne, you are a smart young Monster. Surely you won’t take on a Boss Monster by yourself? I have devoted centuries to pacifism but if you hurt me or my companion; I will show you the full extent of my power. So please, be a dear and take us to Asgore. I just want to talk with my ex-husband. We need to discuss our current situation. I don’t plan on hurting anyone today.”

Undyne stared defiantly at Toriel but finally, she threw down her spear and roared in frustration. 

“You know Toriel, when I first learned your name was on the hit list, I wanted to be the one to kill you.” Undyne admitted bitterly, “While you were off playing pacifist, I was stuck keeping innocent Monsters from getting killed. You were the only one strong enough to stop him but you refused. You left and I had to watch as his assassins killed harmless Monsters. The only thing good in my life was my best friend. If you hurt Papyrus or threatened him in anyway, I will kill you...Boss Monster or not. Now come on. Asgore does not use these rooms, he's over here. He spends most of his time in the laboratory basement."

Putting away her fire balls, Toriel followed the fish Monster. Papyrus ran to keep up with her fast gait, walking besides Undyne and smiling happily at her. Finally Undyne turned and glared at the skeleton. “What’s with that dopey look?” She demanded, “Are you trying to make me lose my temper? It’s bad enough that I’m forced to take you into danger but can’t you be a little serious? You are a wanted fugitive going to meet the strongest leveled Monster in Ebott City!”

“I DIDN'T KNOW YOU CARED SO MUCH!" Papyrus gushed happily, "AM I REALLY YOUR BEST FRIEND? WOWIE! WHAT AN HONOR! YOU ALWAYS TREATED ME LIKE AN UNDERLING SO I JUST ASSUMED YOU DIDN'T CARE IF I LIVED OR DIED. I AM SO HAPPY WE ARE BEST FRIENDS! OH, WAIT UNTIL I TELL SANS!"

Undyne blushed, coughing awkwardly. “I was gruff with you because I wanted to make you stronger. Sans wanted to hide his job as an assassin and I decided to help him out.”

“WAIT…YOU KNEW THAT SANS WAS AN ASSASSIN?” Papyrus asked, confused. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME? FIVE MINUTES AGO YOU WERE BLAMING TORIEL BECAUSE ASGORE HIRED ASSASSINS AND NOW YOU’VE BEEN SUPPORTING MY BROTHER WHO, BY HIS PROFESSION, IS AN ASSASSIN? WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON?”

“It’s not that simple okay!” The fish Monster said, frustrated. “I don’t blame the Monsters who take the assassin jobs; I blame the Monster who offered them in the first place. Asgore offers them a lot of gold and if you are starving…like you and your brother were…you take what you can get.”

Papyrus was about to say something more but Undyne stopped. She put her finger to her lips and gestured for them to be quiet. At the bottom of the stairs there was a door that belonged to Asgore. Undyne pushed open the doors and sure enough, the Agore was hunched in a large comfy chair. He was facing away from them, his eyes on the fireplace but when the doors opened, he turned his head towards his new guests. If he was surprised to see Toriel, he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled warmly and ushered them all inside. “I was wondering when you would come here.” His deep voice rumbled, “It’s been a long time…such a very long time my dear. I am glad that you’ve finally returned home. We have so much to talk about. We are so very close to igniting the war to defeat Humanity.”

Undyne stood near Papyrus and they both watched the exchange. Toriel came forward and while Asgore offered her his hand, she ignored it and sat down in the opposite chair. “I am already aware of your plan Asgore. You think that if some Monsters are killed, their families and friends will put the blame on the Humans. You think those Monsters will eventually bind together to form your personal army and attack all the Humans in Ebott City, forcing the barrier open.” 

“My dear, I am impressed.” Asgore chortled. “You really have been following my movements! I was hoping that if I put your name on the hit list, you will come home…if only to defend your pet Human. I know you’ve been keeping one in your cottage for these last nine years. Even if it is against the law and she should have been killed, I let you keep her anyway. Aren’t I nice?”

“Frisk is not a pet.” Toriel growled, “She’s my daughter and I will not have you calling her that.”

Asgore sighed, shaking his head with pity. “My dear, you are a Monster. Frisk is a Human. You are not her mother, no matter how much you want her to be. Frisk is the daughter of those Humans who are maintaining the barrier. She is our enemy but you have become delusional in your old age. Honestly, raising a Human child as your own. It’s against the very laws of nature!”

Toriel glared at her ex-husband, summoning a fire ball in her hand. “Take that back now!”

Putting up his hands, Asgore smiled. “Okay! Okay…look…I don’t want to fight. I am actually glad you came. I was going to wait for the right time but since you’re here, I might as well show you the surprise now. Your friend Papyrus can come along too. I promise…I have no wish to harm either of you. Tori, I want to reunite you with our son Asriel. He is alive in the next room.” The flame in her hand disappeared. Toriel looked at Asgore with disbelief, trying to understand what he meant. 

“Our son is dead!” She protested, tears welling in her eyes. “Asriel has been dead for years. How could you say something like that? Do you think lying will make things better?”

Papyrus looked questioningly at Undyne and the fish Monster shrugged, equally confused. As if he had been expecting that answer, Asgore smiled wider. “Yes, our son was killed by those horrible Humans but he’s not dead…at least…not any longer. I collected his dust and with the help of my scientists, I managed to restore his life force and direct it into a brand new vessel.”

“That’s not possible.” Toriel murmured. Asgore ushered her forward, towards the back of the room where his laboratory was located. “You can’t bring back the dead…my sweet little Asriel is gone forever.” The four Monsters walked into the sterile room. Plant lights were hanging from the wall and in each pot; there was an unnaturally large buttercup. 

Doctor Alphys saw them, shuffling over and giving a stern look. “Asgore this area is off limits. You know it’s not a good idea to expose Flowey to more than one person at a time. He’s very unstable right now. It’s very dangerous!”

Asgore bared his fangs at the scientist. “I’m very dangerous too and I say that Asriel is going to reunite with his mother! Also, don’t call him Flowey…that’s not his real name. We are trying to help him regain his memories and using the wrong name will not help him recover any faster.”

Alphys cowered, “Of course Asgore. Flow-I mean Asriel is awake.”

Toriel looked equally curious and horrified. Alphys led her towards the biggest buttercup and the goat Monster gasped when she saw the face that was on the plant. It looked neither plantlike nor Monster like. “This can’t be…It's not possible.” She murmured to herself over and over. “Is this really Asriel?”

“What’s an Asriel? Why do you keep calling me that?” The plant cackled, “My name is Flowey, Flowey the Flower! I’ve never seen you before. You look like that big fluffy doofus over there but you know…minus the beard. Have you come here to help me escape from this hell hole?”

“Asriel, this is your mother!” Asgore said, patiently. “Don’t you recognize her?”

Flowey blew Asgore a raspberry and by using his strange, leaf like appendages; he made a very rude gesture at them. “I don’t recognize anybody, you bunch of weirdos! You are all just a bunch of freaks talking to a flower! Why would I treat you like my family? You poked me; you prodded me and then you used a sharp knife to cut into my leaves! I lost two of my petals because of you! Just leave me alone in my pot and let me photosynthesis. It’s what I’m good at.”

Toriel was silent, watching as Flowey closed his eyes and directed his face towards the lights. He looked so much like Asriel but at the same time…he wasn’t. Her little boy, what did he become? How much suffering did he go through to become this creature? She started shaking with rage. Papyrus watched the exchange curiously but Undyne kept a close eye on Toriel. She had been around enough angry Boss Monsters to know when one was about to attack. It happened so quickly, the fish Monster barely managed to pull Papyrus out of harm’s way when Toriel started bombarding Asgore with fireballs. Never before had Toriel looked so furious, the room shook.

“How could you!” She yelled, her voice thundering through the laboratory. “How could you do that to our son? You were his father! You should have let me mourn Asriel in peace! Now he’s not even recognizable anymore! You are a horrible, despicable creature! I can’t believe that I once loved you! How wrong I was to think you could be a good person! You are not fit to rule!”

The fire balls kept coming and Asgore’s HP started dropping but he refused to fight. Asgore didn’t even defend himself, it got to the point where he was down to the last 1 HP and he gave Toriel the saddest look that she had ever seen. “I…I just wanted…I just wanted to be a family again.” He admitted, his tone giving away his pain. “I thought if I could bend the rules of nature, you would come back and forgive me. I just want to free Monsters from the curfew. I want to free Monsters from the barrier but most of all, I want to free you Toriel…I want to free you from your grief. When Asriel died, all I could feel was hate. I was so sad and so angry...but what else could I do? The Monsters refused to fight! Nobody wanted to help me avenge my son and the Humans were determined to punish us over and over again! I wish things were different!”

Toriel paused, listening to him. Her eyes welled up with tears. “I wish things were different too.”

“I could change.” Asgore begged, “Asriel might not remember us now but he might in time. The most important thing is that he’s alive. We are so close to freedom. It was only yesterday that a few more Monsters joined the cause to fight in my army. We are moments from our freedom.”

Looking into his eyes, Toriel felt her anger slipping. She bowed her head down, granting mercy.

Suddenly there was a shattering noise. The pot that held Flowey fell to the floor, leaving the plant Monster exposed to the hard ground. He stretched up his leaves, summoned his vines and used them to propel himself across the tiled floor. He laughed a maniacal laugh and before Toriel could react, Flowey sent pellets straight at Asgore’s head. Normally this would be nothing more than a scratch but because Asgore had only 1 HP left from Toriel’s attacks, it was a fatal move. Toriel watched in horror as Asgore turned to dust before her very eyes. Any hatred she might have felt vanished and all she felt as she saw her ex-husband lose form was sheer hopelessness.

“I’m free!” Flowey shouted, glancing at her as he slithered along the floor, “I am free at last!”

When she finally caught her breath, Toriel dialed her phone. The tears couldn’t stop falling but the goat Monster managed to speak. “Tell everyone what happened.” She told Sans, “In fact, please come to Asgore’s home as quickly as possible. I don’t know if the plant really is Asriel but I…I just can’t deal with this. I don’t know what to do! Nothing makes sense anymore. I just…please come. I need my daughter. She’s all that I have left. It’s my fault, I feel so lost.” 

Toriel hung up the phone, knelt down and cried. Undyne went to talk with Alphys and Papyrus, unsure of how to proceed, went to give Toriel some comfort. He gently patted her back. “IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY, LADY TORIEL.” Papyrus said soothingly, “WE ARE STILL HERE.”


	14. Chapter 14

For the next few days, Toriel did not speak to anyone but Frisk. The young woman doted upon her mother, fixing her tea and reading her funny stories in hopes of cheering her up. The goat Monster slept most of the time and when she was awake, she often looked through old family pictures, usually ones of Asgore and Asriel. She was silent, moody and only cried when she thought Frisk wasn't looking. After that fateful morning, nobody had seen the mysterious Flowey. Even Alphys, Flowey’s creator was confused by his strange, unprecedented behavior. According to the doctor, she did not realize that Flowey was even capable of such movement, much less the ability to kill another Monster. So, anticipating Flowey's aggression and high level of violence, Sans took it upon himself to look for the plant and bring him home. Flowey had been missing for six days. On the seventh day, Frisk tried to rouse Toriel from her warm bed. 

"Mother we have guests coming over." The young woman reminded her sternly. "Any minute now, the Humans from outside the barrier are going to be here. They want to discuss the peace treaty and we have to be ready for them. You can’t stay in bed forever, I know you are sad but we must move on and focus on the future. So many Monsters are counting on your wisdom.”

Toriel frowned, sitting up and putting away her book. “Oh dear, is it that time already? I should probably go tell the other Monsters not to harm our Human guests, despite it being past sunset.”

“Undyne has already taken care of that." Frisk said, smiling wryly. "You must have made quite the impression on her because after the incident, Undyne took it upon herself to help with our plan for diplomacy. Every Monster in Ebott City has been threatened at least once not to harm the visiting Humans. It is surprising, for a Monster who hates your guts she sure has been helpful. Alphys has changed sides too, offering her services if you need them. You are not alone mother. Now that Asgore is gone, Monsters are slowly returning to pacifism. Even most of the former assassins have been brought to heel by Papyrus. He has been retraining them to be more obedient and respectful, deferring to your leadership from now on. Papyrus is quite the formidable Monster, despite being a skeleton; the dogs are now treating him like the new alpha.”

"My, you all have been so busy!" Toriel commented, smiling softly. "That is very good news my child. Now tell me, has there been any word about Flowey? Has he been found safe?"

Frisk hesitated for a moment, looking at her mother’s hopeful expression. “Actually…there has been some news. Sans called me earlier today, it turns out that Flowey had been hiding in a pine tree this whole time. It’s no wonder it took so long to find him! Sans also told me that Flowey is being very stubborn and his vines are strongly wrapped around the tree. Once Sans manages to pry him free from the branches, he will bring Flowey here. Mother, I know you miss your son but are you ready for this? It's only been a few days and after all...Flowey was the one who killed Asgore. I just don't want you to push yourself too much. It's perfectly okay if you don't want to see him for the time being."

Sliding out of her bed, Toriel got up and went to her bedroom window. She looked outside and smiled softly. 

The sun had just set and the sky had turned into a soft, pinkish purple, the last remnants of a sunset. A nightingale cooed in the distance, adding to the ambiance as Monsters started rousing out of bed to start their evening. Without looking at Frisk, Toriel spoke calmly. “I have been thinking long and hard about Flowey.” she confided, “So much so that I have decided that if Flowey is my son, then I need to help him with his new life. If Asgore had been lying and he’s not Asriel, then I need to keep him contained. Either way, Flowey is a violent, unpredictable Monster and we can’t have him damaging the already fragile relationship with the Humans from beyond the barrier. Flowey is my responsibility and I will keep him in my care.”

Frisk did not speak but she went to hug her mother. Toriel held onto her daughter for a long time until suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. “I see our guests have arrived.” Toriel mused, “Let them in Frisk and I will quickly change into something suitable. I’ll be there soon.”

The young woman went to open the door, letting in the four Humans from outside the barrier. This was the first time that they had traveled in the night and they seemed to be uneasy as they looked around Toriel’s home. Frisk went to offer them chairs by the fire place and they chatted nervously amongst themselves. After about five minutes, Toriel came out of her room and smiled charmingly at her guests. She had dressed in a lavender gown and was looking very beautiful.

“Welcome to my home. I do hope your journey was pleasant. It looks to be a nice evening."

“Thank you for inviting us!” An old man said, grinning from ear to ear. “That was the first sunset I have ever seen and let me just say it was absolutely breathtaking. It is far superior to a sunrise, in my opinion. I look forward to ending this curfew law for good and being freed from the restraints of time. I am sure you feel the same Lady Toriel.”

Toriel nodded, “Of course, I couldn’t be more pleased Mr.…um…what is your name, dear sir?”

“My name is Adrian Smith, patriarch of the southern station. It is wonderful to meet you.” The old gentleman gave a sweeping bow and Toriel giggled, giving a curtsy back. 

Anthony Logan coughed and Frisk looked at him, quickly getting the message. “Mother, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Anthony Logan, my birth mother’s cousin, the guardian of the northern station and the leader of the four families that guard the barrier. The brunette woman is his wife Adele. You have already met Adrian Smith of course and this woman here; she is Mrs. Martha Johnson, the matriarch of the eastern station. They have all come to discuss the end of the curfew law and the plans to remove the barrier. There is even a draft of the peace treaty for you to review and sign. I am told it is mostly technicalities of what changes are to be enacted.”

Toriel nodded, “Greetings! It is so wonderful to meet you all! Are there any more people coming? You mentioned representatives from the North, the South and the East…are there western representatives? I don’t want to begin the meeting if we are waiting for another person.” 

Frisk blushed and looked down with shame. “The western representative is my birth mother. Myra is not very fond of Monsters and she refused to come. I am sorry about her behavior.”

“My child, it is not your fault.” Toriel said, looking at Frisk with affection. “We will just have to carry on without her. Myra may not want progress but these four people do and that is enough.”

“I too am sorry for Myra’s behavior but all is not lost.” Anthony said, smiling reassuringly. “As long as three of the four families agree on the treaty at hand, then it is official. If you were to read this document and give your approval, the curfew law is over regardless of the western station’s influence. Perhaps in time she will change her mind but now, we must move forward.” He offered her the treaty and Toriel held on to it, searching for her spectacles as she went to sit down in her chair. 

“While I read this, come have some butterscotch and cinnamon pie. I baked it recently, so feel free to have some. We also have tea or coffee, if that is what you would prefer. After I have read everything I will sign it. I hope you are not in a hurry; I just want to do things right. I wish for us all to be friends. I know that Monsters and Humans quarreled in the past but I believe things will improve. The fact that you are all here today is a good start in my opinion.”

Frisk handed out slices of pie and mugs of a hot drink catering to their preference. Surprised and delighted by the treat, most of the pie was eaten within the half hour. While the Humans ate, Toriel sat in her easy chair. Wearing her spectacles, she went over each line of the treaty carefully. "This treaty includes every Monster, correct?" She inquired, looking over at Anthony in particular. "You will no longer kill Monsters...even the scary looking ones?"

"Well…it might take a while to get over prejudice." Anthony admitted sheepishly, "Not every Human is a good person but we will have a law in place. Just like it is against the law to kill Humans, it will be against the law to kill Monsters. This way we can stop normalizing aggression and hatred. There will be no more daily patrols to kill either species and as per your request, Humans and Monsters will live side by side in harmony. Anybody who tries to break that rule will be severely punished; we will no longer look the other way. We have also talked about ways to make Ebott City more inclusive. That way, we can make the city that the founders intended.”

Toriel nodded, “This does sound fair. Pray tell, what do you mean like the founders intended?”

Adele smiled shyly at the goat Monster. “With the barrier gone, Monsters can come or go as they wish but we also want to encourage more Humans to live among Monsters. That way we can all learn more about each other. Children from both species will learn to treat each other as equals.”

"This is exactly what I wanted to hear." Toriel praised, "As I am the interim leader of the Monsters, I approve of this peace treaty and all that it entails. When the new leader of the Monsters is eventually elected, I shall pass on my wisdom and this treaty shall be enforced. It will be used every day for centuries to come and with any luck, both Monsters and Humans will remember this moment of peace and unification." Signing her name with an elegant flourish, the treaty was complete and the curfew law was over.

Already some of the Humans were talking about bringing down the barrier, starting a trade route and encouraging relations between the species. Toriel was doing her best to keep up but she was not used to being a politician. After being a recluse for so many years, everything was new and overwhelming. Still, she kept up the best she could and asked questions often. Frisk listened too but was quickly becoming bored, especially when the talk turned towards currency and business. Suddenly there was a noise that caught Frisk's attention, it was a loud thud and it was coming from the yard in front of Toriel’s house. Excusing herself from the lively group, Frisk opened the door and spotted Sans. The skeleton had just teleported back and while he looked exhausted, his expression brightened when he saw her. "Aren't you a sight for sore eye sockets!" He exclaimed, looking relieved. "Sorry it took so long sweetheart. Hopefully you didn’t miss me too much!"

Frisk let out an excited squeal. She ran over to hug him, kissing him soundly and relishing the way his strong arms held her tight as they embraced. He nuzzled into her neck, his phalanges curling into her hair and they stayed like that for many minutes. Now that he had returned to her, Frisk felt that she could finally relax. Doggo had been the only canine assassin to have escaped Papyrus’ retraining and combined with his hatred of Sans, Frisk couldn’t help but feel anxious. Between Flowey and Doggo, anything could have gone wrong in the rouge plant’s retrieval. It was all she could do not to sigh with relief now that Sans had returned home safe and sound.

“So what did I miss?” The skeleton asked curiously, “Did Toriel sign the peace treaty?"

“Yes, it all turned out wonderfully.” Frisk said, smiling softly. “My mother is talking with the four Humans now and the peace treaty has been signed. The curfew law is officially over Sans, can you believe it? You are no longer bound to the nighttime and I am no longer trapped in the day. There were representatives from the families and they promised to tear down the barrier so that Monsters can leave whenever they like. Sans, you can go anywhere you like. Nobody will stop you from seeing the rest of the world!”

“As long as I’m with ya, I’m happy enough.” Sans said, smirking. “It’s nice to have the option though. You mentioned four people; I guess your birth mom finally agreed to participate? That’s surprising; ‘cause she looked really ticked off at the idea of Monsters and Humans sharing the land. Is she okay with the curfew being over? Did ya ever make peace with her? If ya managed to get that witch of a woman to be compassionate, that takes magic indeed. Are you sure you aren’t part Monster?”

Frisk laughed bitterly, “As if I could use magic…what an idea! If only it could be that simple but no, Myra refused to come because she thinks that peace is a pointless endeavor. She thinks we are all idiots falling for a Monster’s trap but I don’t care about her opinion. It doesn’t matter what she thinks. I know we are doing the right thing and Anthony told me that as long as three of the four houses agree on the treaty, it will be done regardless of my birth mother’s approval.”

Seeing her sad expression made Sans wince. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I wish I could help.”

“Why are you sorry?” Frisk asked, looking confused. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Myra is my family, she’s my blood but she’s a horrible person. I wish I could undo every bad thing my kin has said or done but there’s only so much I can do. Now come on, let’s forget about her. Let’s focus on the good news. Did you capture Flowey?”

“Yep!” Sans affirmed. “I have the little beasty right here!” 

The skeleton snapped his fingers and Flowey appeared instantly. Suspended in a small bubble of blue magic, the little plant could squirm and breathe but he could do little else. His roots and stem were firmly held by the blue magic. Flowey was cursing and yelling at Sans but no matter how much he shouted, Sans kept him trapped and floating in midair. “Let me down!” Flowey shouted, “Release me at once you stupid, smiling trash bag! I will kill you! I will kill you all!”

"Sorry bud, that's not happening." Sans said, not bothering to hide his amusement. "In order to get to the root of the problem, I will leaf you alone only when you are safely contained at Toriel’s home and not a minute before. So suck it up buttercup!”

Flowey shrieked in frustration. "Stop with the puns already! I have heard nonstop puns since you kidnapped me from my tree! Don't you have any sympathy? I was finally free. My father was a killer and he tortured me into this worthless existence! He deserved to die and I should be awarded a medal for my heroic act. Mother wasn't going to kill him so I had to finish the job!"

"Flowey, you remembered that Asgore and Toriel are your parents!" Frisk exclaimed happily. "This is good news! Wait until Toriel finds out! She will be so happy that you are remembering!"

"Don't tell her! Don't tell Toriel anything!" Flowey protested but it was too late.

Just as he spoke those words, the goat Monster left the house and was escorting the four Humans to the barrier. It was the strangest sight that most of the Humans had ever seen. A small skeleton Monster was holding a talking flower captive, suspended in a bright blue bubble. The flower was hovering in the air, begging Frisk not to tell Toriel and the moment she heard her name, Toriel became suspicious. She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at the plant. Flowey gulped nervously, cowering low and hoping that she would continue walking. "Don't tell Toriel...what? What are you up to Flowey?" She demanded in her best mom voice.


	15. Chapter 15

For a moment, Flowey was speechless. He stared at Toriel with wide, fearful eyes. He could not escape because he was still trapped in the blue magic and Sans was not letting him go. If anything, the skeleton seemed amused by his vulnerable position. The plant tried to be brave but Toriel was coming closer and she had a fireball burning in her hand. She was not going to let this go. The goat Monster looked at him sternly. “Is there something you aren’t telling me Flowey?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Flowey spat defiantly. “Go away! Leave me alone!”

Despite his brave words, the plant couldn’t look Toriel in the eye. Instead, Flowey looked at his roots and wondered if it were possible to slip through the magic. He tried wiggling his stem but nothing happened. He was at the mercy of his mother and the obnoxious skeleton holding him prisoner. Flowey tried to keep calm but even without looking; he knew that Toriel was watching him. “I know that look Asriel.” Toriel said, after a moment. She made the fireball in her hand disappear and Flowey breathed a sigh of relief. “When you were little, you would look at your feet whenever you were hiding something. I remember the time when you spilled tea all over the carpet and when I asked you about it, you lied and said a dog had done it…remember? Your father was so mad at you, especially when you tried to cover it up, adding more bad excuses.”

“I thought he was going to punish me…but he didn’t.” Flowey added, looking drawn into the memory. "For the whole day, father looked at me with disappointment, like I had let him down. I never understood why he was so mad at me. It was only tea and the carpet was easily cleaned. Was it really worth getting so upset?"

Toriel looked nostalgic for a moment. "Asgore wasn't upset that you spilled the tea, he was angry because you lied about it. Sometimes lying makes the problem worse than it was to begin with. So tell me Asriel, why are you lying to me? I understand why you killed your father. You were angry and you were confused. You weren't the only one. If it wasn't for me, Asgore would still be alive. You might have dealt the final blow but I was the one who attacked him until he was at 1 HP. It is my fault that Asgore is dead and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life."

Flowey started to weep, tears dripping down the blue bubble he was trapped in. Toriel glanced at Sans and he shrugged, giving the plant to his mother. Flowey was still unable to move but at least now he was no longer floating in the air. So wrapped up in confronting her son, Toriel had momentarily forgotten about her Human visitors standing in front of the house. They watched this tender moment, unsure if they should continue on alone or wait for the goat Monster to escort them to the barrier as originally planned. Finally the old man, Adrian Smith came forward hesitatingly. “Excuse me…Lady Toriel? I hate to be rude but who is this talking flower? Is he another Monster? Why is he crying and why is he that skeleton’s prisoner? Did something bad happen? Do you need help?”

Toriel blushed in embarrassment. “Oh dear…I’m sorry everyone. I guess this does look strange without any context and I just left you all here feeling so confused. Humans, this is my son Asriel. I thought I lost him centuries ago but by some miracle he’s been brought back to life!”

There was a long awkward silence as the four Humans tried to process what they heard. Finally, Mrs. Martha Johnson, the matriarch of the eastern station came forward, her face scrunched up in confusion. “How is that possible?” She asked, “You are a goat Monster and that is…a giant talking flower. How can the flower be Asriel, the Monster child who died and started this mess? Was he reincarnated? Can Monsters do that? I thought you turned into dust when you died and...”

Anthony Logan quickly interrupted the woman. “The world is full of unexplained phenomena and magic is hardly one we will ever understand.”

Adele Logan looked like she wanted to ask a question of her own, but Mr. Logan started ushering his companions onward. "Come along everyone...let us leave. We have overstayed our welcome and it seems that our hostess has some business of her own to take care of. We will talk again Lady Toriel and…congratulations on being reunited with your son. While we may not understand the circumstances, we are all very happy for you. Perhaps next time we can discuss more of the trade agreement?"

"Of course!" Toriel agreed with a smile, "Thank you all for coming. I am sorry I can't escort you to the edge of the barrier. Monster kind looks forward to improving relations between our species. May we know peace for many years to come!"

Anthony nodded in agreement. The barrier was not far away and as the Humans walked, the evening mist made them all but disappear into the shadows. Sans watched them go and while he had been quiet the entire time, his eye still glowed from maintaining Flowey's blue magic bubble. After a long week of searching the forest on the edge of the city, the skeleton was not taking any chances. Flowey was not getting away this time but surprisingly, he did not seem as rebellious now. His complaints had lessened and as Toriel still held him in her arms, Flowey looked relatively happy there. "Well, I guess that's it then." Sans commented, with a tired smile. "Ya know, considering how bizarre this looks...I am impressed by how calm the Humans were. I was expecting them to freak out the moment Flowey came into the scene. I was goin' to reunite ya both after the meeting but I guess it just couldn't be helped."

"Indeed, we are lucky they are so open minded." Toriel agreed; looking in the direction their guests had gone. "Monsters have to be very careful not to ruin their trust again. Humans are such fragile creatures; I sometimes forget how easy it is to hurt them if we are not careful with our magic. When I meet with our people, I should probably warn them to be aware of their innate power. Humans fear what they do not understand and by its very nature, magic is mysterious. This diplomacy meeting could have easily gone wrong."

Sans glanced at his new leader doubtfully. "Monsters will always use magic; it is part of who we are. Ya can't expect out kind to just give up magic just because the Humans are frightened. They need to get used to the idea that there are other creatures out there that are different but still equally important. Why do we have to hide? Why do we have to be locked up? When I visited the Humans on the other side of the barrier, they had more weapons then I had ever seen in my life! They can be just as dangerous if not more so!"

"I understand." Toriel said gently, "But this is all the more reason why it's important we befriend them. The Humans need to get used to us gradually. I don't want to start another feud just because a Monster was impatient and reckless. I want to learn from our mistakes and not go through this again. We have had enough killing for one Monster lifetime!"

"Yeah, yeah we will all be careful." Flowey said, before making his face more monstrous. "Now Sans, if you would be so kind and...LET ME OUT OF THIS DAMN BUBBLE BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND!” His words became shrill and loud, making Toriel look at her plant son with disapproval. Seeing her mother look so offended, Frisk started to laugh and Sans joined her. Even Toriel chuckled and shook her head, looking exasperated.

“Now Flowey, it’s time to go home. You need a nap, you must be exhausted!" The goat Monster said, reassuring her charge. "Now don't you fret! I might have a flower pot for you to stay in but I suppose if I can't find one, there's always an old winter boot. You know, I always have at least one lying around. It might do the trick if I can't find a pot for you to rest in. How does that sound? A little water and sunlight will make you feel good as new."

Flowey pouted, "I guess that's fine. It's not like I have much of a choice anyway." 

Sans grinned at the plant mischievously, releasing him from the blue magic and letting Toriel look after him. Flowey was fully aware of Toriel's fire magic and while she would not hurt him, she wasn't going to let him go either. Knowing his prisoner was in good hands, Sans was looking forward to being lazy again. After searching for Flowey throughout the week, the skeleton couldn't wait to sleep in his nice warm bed. He expected Frisk to follow her mother inside but instead, the young woman went over to him and interlaced her fingers with his phalanges, looking at him affectionately. "Are you ready to go home?" She asked, smiling softly. "Papyrus will be glad to see you. I know he missed you almost as much as I did!"

"Ya sure ya want to come home with me?" Sans wondered, "Not that I don't enjoy your company but...ya mother might be worried."

"Mother is occupied with Flowey now and she trusts me." Frisk told him, smirking. "I am a grown woman now, I can handle myself. Besides, I haven't seen you all week and I have missed you quite terribly. I think it's time we get reacquainted. The curfew law is over, I think we deserve some time to ourselves."

Sans felt his skull heat up with embarrassment but he gave her a naughty smile. "Well...you do have a point. Tibia honest, ya still owe me a date. I talked with Grillby on my way over here and he is fine with us coming back to his nightclub. He even apologized for the wanted sign on his door. It turns out Grillbz was afraid the assassins would kill him if he didn't do want Asgore told him to do. I told him I understood and he even offered a chance for ya to sing at the club. What do ya say? Ever since ya told me ya liked music, I've wanted to hear that beautiful voice of yours. This is your big opportunity sweetheart!"

Frisk smiled bashfully, "I think I would like that very much."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this story has come to an end and it was a fun ride. I just want to thank everyone who read, commented, subscribed, bookmarked and/or left kudos on this story. Your support has made writing this fanfic worthwhile, even more so that this became the largest story I have ever written in all the years that I wrote fanfiction! It also worked out that it also ended on the second anniversary of Undertale's release. Believe me, that was a coincidence but a happy one that worked out. So thank you again and there might be some more stories coming out in the future! PS: The song that Frisk sings is called Moon River. It's sung by Audrey Hepburn and it's what I imagined Frisk singing.

For the last 200 years, Monsters had been punished with a curfew law and restricted to the city limits. Now that the barrier was gone and a peace treaty signed, there was a sense of freedom that hadn't been felt there before. Monsters could leave Ebott City whenever they wished and they could walk around in the sunlight again. However, despite how wonderful this was, change sometimes takes a while. Ghosts still preferred the darkness and other nocturnal Monsters felt more at ease in the twilight hours. The only difference between now and the last two centuries was that they had a choice. The ability to choose was the greatest freedom of all.

Toriel had taken over the role as leader of the Monsters, though she insisted it was a temporary position. Until Monsters adjusted to the change and elected their own leaders, she would be the one keeping order. She was a lot kinder then Asgore and without the assassins killing random Monsters, they all grew to love and respect her. Even Flowey, her disgruntled plant son was a lot happier. Asriel still preferred being called Flowey but his memories were coming back slowly. He just had to get used to being around his mother again. They were living together now and had even planted a memorial garden for Asgore. Despite still feeling anger towards the old leader, they both felt sadness for his loss and the lingering sense of love. Their mourning did not last long however, for soon the focus turned to governing and cleaning up Ebott City from the mess it had been before.

Humans and Monsters were interacting with each other almost daily now. Tensions were disappearing and friendships were made. Sans did not bother hiding his love for Frisk. The two were closer than ever now and after much badgering on his part, Sans had convinced her to sing for him at Grillby's. As a trombone player, the skeleton had always loved music and to see his girlfriend singing on stage excited him, to the point where he had it all arranged. The Friday after the peace treaty was signed, everyone was invited to see her perform. Frisk wasn't the only performer but she was the only one that mattered. The whole nightclub was packed with Humans and Monsters alike, not even the competition from Club Moonlight could make a difference. Sans made himself comfortable at the table where his brother and friends sat. He was offered his usual condiment of mustard but for some reason, it did not taste the same to him. After getting used to ketchup, it was hard to go back.

"LOOK! FRISK IS COMING OUT TO SING!" Papyrus exclaimed, breaking Sans from his thoughts. "DOESN'T SHE LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL? THAT DRESS REALLY BECOMES HER!"

Sans paused, awestruck by the sight on the stage. Frisk was wearing a long flowing silver dress. Her brown curls were pulled up into a half up hairdo and the spotlight show down upon her making her glow, looking like the full moon on a clear night. Her voice was beautiful and Sans was mesmerized. It was obvious that she was a little nervous but as time went on, Frisk became more confident and she swayed to the sound. Grillby accompanied her on the piano and the usual sounds of chatter stopped when Frisk sang. It was as if the whole world was watching but Frisk only had eyes for Sans. By watching him instead of the crowd, she seemed to have found the bravery she didn't know she possessed. After all, one could love to sing but performing in front of a stage took a lot of practice. As the final notes of Moon River ended, the spell was broken and people; both Monsters and Humans alike, broke into a round of applause. Frisk gave a short little bow and smiled shyly, her face flushed from the attention.

"My child has always been a lovely singer." Toriel commented to Papyrus. "When she first moved in with me, Frisk would sing to me every night! She loved doing it but she always had terrible stage fright...I am proud that she decided to come up to Grillby's to sing. That must have taken a lot of courage on her part!"

Papyrus nodded, "I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT FRISK WAS SPECIAL. I KNEW IT SINCE THE MOMENT I LAID EYE SOCKET ON HER BUT WOWIE! I THINK SHE'S THE BEST CANARY THAT HAS SUNG HERE IN YEARS! NORMALLY i DON'T COME TO PLACES LIKE GRILLBY'S BUT SANS WAS RIGHT; MUSIC REALLY IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I'M GOING TO BE SEEING METTATON IN CONCERT NEXT! IF A HUMAN CAN SING AS WELL AS FRISK, I BET METATTON IS ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING. YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN ME LADY TORIEL."

"I'd love to come see Mettaton with you." Toriel said, smiling softly. "What about you Sans? Are you a big Metatton fan?"

She looked across the table but Sans was gone. Papyrus shrugged, looking just as confused. While Toriel and Papyrus were talking, Sans had teleported himself away. Frisk had finished singing and was backstage, putting away a few props and heading towards the changing room. Sans had no interest in hearing the other performers that were coming on next, all he cared about was the young woman in the silver dress. Frisk had just entered the changing room and Sans followed behind; he closed the door and locked it to ensure their privacy. Smiling a mischievously evil smile, he hugged Frisk from behind, causing the woman to gasp in surprise.

“Sans! What are you doing here?” Frisk asked, “I thought you were with Papyrus and mother.”

The skeleton smirked, not letting the Human go as he bent down to nibble her neck. “Ya look so beautiful right now...so sexy and I want to spend some time with ya. We haven't had a quiet moment together since we signed the peace treaty with those Humans and I'm getting real tired of waitin' around for some alone time. Come on Frisky; let's take full advantage of this romantic moment. It's just you and me." Frisk laughed, trying hard not to squirm as he licked the back of her neck with his tongue. He was taking full advantage of her bare shoulders and his clawed phalanges started playing with the buttons on her dress. He slowly revealed more of her bare torso, kissing and biting as he went.

“But I’m all sweaty from singing!” Frisk protested, “Don’t you think we should do this somewhere private? What…what if someone knocks on the door or tries to come in?”

“Nobody is goin’ to interrupt us.” Sans promised, “Now is that your only protest? ‘Cause you are lookin’ real delectable right now and...I don’t think I’d be able to control myself if you don’t tell me to stop right now. So what do ya say Frisky? Want to have a good time with me? I have seen the way you’ve been watchin’ me...”

Frisk blushed, shyly looking to the ground. She nodded her head before finally; she looked at Sans with desire and trust in her eyes. That was all Sans needed. 

Growling happily, the skeleton pushed Frisk onto the large couch in the changing room. She gave a little squeak of surprise, her silver dress already sliding off her body as Sans started leaning over her and kissing her with enthusiasm. He nipped playfully at her lips, begging her to respond and when she did, she did it with equal gusto. Moaning into the kiss, Frisk sucked on his tongue a little making Sans practically shudder with excitement. His hands started pulling at his own clothes, pulling off his black leather jacket and shirt and leaving his chest bare. Despite being all bones, his body seemed to radiate heat as his soul fluttered with excitement. Magic seemed to be flowing between them and Frisk could feel it pulsing in his kiss. The moment they were both without clothes, Frisk studied Sans with curiosity.

His naked body was so different from what she had known. He was so different then her, not quite like a Human skeleton but with enough similarities that made it feel familiar. Her unabashed gaze left Sans feeling embarrassed, he looked at his bones with disgust. “I know I’m not much to look at, there are no… fleshy bits like ya would find on a Human male.” His self-deprecating words made Frisk look at him with confusion. 

“I know you’re not a Human.” She said, smiling reassuringly. “You are Sans, the one I love. I don’t care if you are a skeleton Monster. You are the most handsome male I’ve seen!”

Frisk then started kissing him along his bare ribs, her lower body rubbing suggestively against his pelvis bone. Sans groaned loudly, not hiding his pleasure his magical energy became stronger, his bones radiating with heat as he moved against her. He became excited as he nuzzled his face into her body. His hands massaged her breasts, circling them with his thumbs and marveling at Frisk's soft pudginess. The young woman squirmed a bit, ticklish while he touched her and tasted her. Already a red bite mark was forming near the base of her neck and he growled possessively, pinning her down and kissing her firmly. He dragged his ecto-tongue from her shoulders, to her breasts, to finally down below her lower stomach. Sans became very excited. He knew enough from Papyrus’s books that this part of the Human anatomy was very interesting. Sans became more enthusiastic, his hands reaching down between her legs curiously. He could feel it...the warm, wetness of the female's arousal. Sans grinned, running his tongue over his sharp teeth.

"Somebody's excited..." Sans teased, "I wonder...what would happen if I do this? Ooh...I think you really like that. Should I do it again?"

Rubbing her clit experimentally, Sans noted how the young woman closed her eyes and moaned. She pushed against his hand and Sans grinned, suddenly plunging a finger inside her. Moving it around and curling it inside her, the Monster enjoyed seeing Frisk start twisting about under him. Adding another finger, Sans pushed into her cunt as far as he could go and pulled out slowly, all the while keeping the friction focused on her sensitive nub. She was very tight inside but he slowly kept on repeating the process as Frisk panted, first with pain but the more he did it, the more she started to feel the pleasure overtake her. Frisk became impatient, urging him to go faster and faster as her grip started to tighten on his shoulder bones. Her whimpers and sighs increased in volume while Sans continued the pattern. Pushing and pulling, rubbing and massaging until finally; Frisk let out a satisfied groan. Her body shuddered and then relaxed as the orgasm overtook her. Her eyes were closed blissfully and she sighed happily. 

Growing confident with his success, Sans took advantage of this moment. He nuzzled his face between her legs, dragging his tongue into her folds and licking at the moisture that had gathered there. His determination to repeat the process became apparent as Frisk started to whimper with pleasure once more. His long tongue was relentless against her sensitive vagina. He pushed her legs apart and teased her with little nibbles on her thighs. Circling her center with his tongue, Frisk bucked into his touch, her body begging him to continue but Sans pulled back for a moment. The Monster enjoyed seeing Frisk look wanton, so desperate for him to touch her.

“Sweetheart, you are so beautiful.” The skeleton mumbled, nuzzling his face against her thighs, feeling her shudder from his touch. “Cum for me again, I know you can do it. I want to hear ya sing for me. I love the way ya taste, the way ya smell and the way your cute little face looks when I make ya feel so much pleasure. Cum for me now...”

Returning his attention to her entrance, Sans licked her with more enthusiasm. He was slow at first but because her body was already so sensitive from her previous orgasm, Frisk gave out a little cry when he sucked at her clit. She moaned even more when he poked his ecto-tongue inside her, this time going even deeper than his phalanges did. Sans pushed harder against her, rubbing and forcing the wet tongue into her tightness, feeling the woman squirm under his hold. In and out he went, and Frisk could only moan out her pleasure with little grunts and groans. It did not take long until she once more went over the edge and it was only then that Sans paused, letting her once more ride out the feeling as it came over her. Sans rested next to her on the couch, listening as the young woman breathed heavily beside him. She then started giggling from the sheer joy of the feeling. Sans chuckled too, marveling at the experience that had happened.

Being a Monster, his pleasure was her pleasure. Intimate moments like this connected their souls subconsciously and Sans experienced the same feeling Frisk did. The young woman didn’t quite understand how it worked but there was no denying that Sans looked just as satisfied next to her.

“Have you ever done this with another Human?” Frisk teased, “That was so incredible Sans!”

The skeleton slowly got up and smirked, “What…are ya jealous? Do ya think that I made love to another Human aside from you? Heh…that’s real cute. Nope…you are my one and only, sweetheart. I think I must have been a scientist in another life ’cause I have been obsessed doin’ research on what makes Human ladies happy. Ya would be surprised what ya can find in books these days. There’s so much naughty content!”

Frisk laughed, “You learned how to do this from porn?”

“I call it educational reading.” Sans quipped, “But yes, those books were full of porn.”

“You would call it educational reading.” Frisk sighed, unable to resist smiling. “Still…I’m not complaining. If I wasn’t so worn out I wouldn’t be adverse to a few more rounds of repeat attention. I never knew I could feel so good; it’s like you knew exactly how I’d react to what.”

“Ya could even call me sansationsal!” The skeleton said, giving her a wink.

“That’s pun way to describe it.” Frisk added wryly, “But yes, you were wonderful. Now come on, we have to get dressed. I think my mother and Papyrus are probably wondering where we are. We’ve been gone for over an hour, I think that the sun is about to rise and they might get suspicious considering. Mother might not be so fond of you if she finds out what we have been doing. I don’t want her to throw fireballs at you. Trust me; she is a scary Monster when mad!”

Sure enough, there was a few knocking sounds at the door. “My child, are you okay in there? It's time to go home!”

“I’ll be out soon mother!” Frisk replied quickly. She found her regular clothes all folded up from before the performance and shuffled back into her underwear, pants and shirt. Sans didn’t bother to contain his laughter when the young woman found, to her surprise, a red hickey on her neck the size of a gold coin. He laughed even harder when Frisk realized that she was unable to hide such a mark under her v necked shirt. It looked like this evidence of their liaison was going to stay.


End file.
